Yosho's Tales
by Daferge
Summary: Ever wonder what or who, may have influenced Yosho before he began his great adventure, away from Jurai!... With the New Year Tenchi and the Girls have a Tale for us... New Chapter... Please enjoy and Review...
1. Chapter 1

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclamer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All origional charactors and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 01... The Beginning...**

**( August 22nd 1281... ) **

High above the small planet two completely different star-ships were locked in deadly combat...

While one was of a crystalline style, the other was more natural design, being created from living wood...

The crystalline one was know to be a hunter, but was now the hunted...

And the hunter would chase it to the ends of the universe...

As it was, it had been a long chase and the warships found themselves on the very edge of known space it's self...

A small star, a few planets, with only one showing signs of life on it...

This was a protected planet, a world that had was still young and primitive...

Contact by being from other worlds was forbidden by galactic Law, punishable by **DEATH**...

The crystalline ship was trying to land and allow it's pilot to escape, hiding among the native population...

The hunter would not allow it...

And so, as they approached the bright side of the planet's surface, the sun at their back, the two ships collided and fell to the world below, crashing...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

But even as the dust of the crashed ships settled, the battle continued...

The two pilots had survived and continued to fight, with powers that only the **"GODS" **would have...

The crash had created a huge crater and energy each fighter threw dug huge gashes in the surrounding hills, creating scars that could be see from high above...

Combined with the dust and moisture in the earth, clouds began to form, getting bigger and darker as more power was used...

Soon, massive storm clouds formed around the combatants, hiding them from any local natives...

Getting larger and larger, the storm soon covered a large area of the island, upon which the two were fighting...

The winds, rain and lightning effected more than just those on the land, it effected those upon small, fragile forms of transportation that moved upon the water...

Just off the western coast, a large number of these vessels would soon feel the effects of this storm and only a very few would survive...

The battle was to the death and both fighters knew it...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Decades later... )**

A figure stood, looking out over the valley and the lake below, among the forest of trees...

With long white hair, he wore the robes of a Shinto priest...

The cup in his hand had come from a village to the west, the tea within, from a village to the East...

Together, they relaxed the priest and allowed him to reflect...

Only recently had it been safe to travel beyond the surrounding hills...

For only recently had the scars of battle been removed from the surrounding terrain...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

One had to look hard and know where to look, to see any thing out of place...

Katsuhito Masaki, once called Yosho Masaki Jurai, smiled, for any space craft that happen to pass by would have to do a really detailed scan to detect that the Valley and it's Passes were any thing but natural...

After his fight with the violent Space Pirate Ryoko, Yosho realized that with his tree-ship destroyed, not only did he have no way off this planet, but that his life would be shorter...

But then a strange thing happened...

On a small island, on the edge of the new lake, he discovered the Juraian tree Funaho, to which he was bonded, alive and well...

Not only that, but it wasn't taking root and loosing it's Juraian power, as it should have...

So Yosho began to think of his future...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Looking for a reason, he discovered that Funaho was getting power from the gems that he had managed to take from Ryoko, during their battle...

When he had managed to get close enough to Ryoko to grab hold of her, he'd used his master key, Tenchi-ken to steal her power gems and seal them away...

Now they were preserving the tree and him...

At the same time, a major change came over the wild raging beast that he'd been fighting just moments before...

It had turned into a small, frightened female, sobbing at his feet...

And the crown prince of a world ravaged this creature, his blazing sword ready to take his revenge, suddenly found that he could not...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Instead of destroying her, like he'd sworn to do, he found himself holding her and comforting her...

When Tsunami, the goddess, appeared and nodded, he knew he had to do some thing...

And with Funaho's help, he did...

He created a cave, using the ships cryo-sleep chamber and placed the sleeping Ryoko within it...

There, she would sleep and rejuvenate, recovering from all her centuries under Kagato's vicious control...

He saw a happy, smiling Ryoko one day living free...

But for now, she would sleep, perchance to dream and he would protect her until that day...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Over the next several decades, he used Funaho's power and the power of the gems, to hide the battle scars by growing a thick forest around the cave...

He also built the shrine and the steps leading up to it, as protection from the "Demon" sealed within the sacred cave...

As a Shinto priest he hoped that rumors of a powerful Demon would keep Ryoko safe, but it also tended to attract fools who thought there might be treasure...

These, the Juraian swordsman Yosho quickly dispatched, until the curse of the demon grew enough to protect the shrine...

And when the time did come, he traveled, as an elderly priest, to the North end and to the South end of the new Pass through the mountains, letting the nearby villages know of the new path that would take weeks off of traveling around the hills...

Travelers, praying for good fortune, made offerings at the small shrine, over looking the new trail...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Katsuhito smiled as he watch the sun set in the West, far beyond the local hills...

Funaho had taken time to create a map of this young world and shared it with him...

Perhaps he would travel and explore his new home, once he was sure that the cave and shrine were both safe...

He was slowly aging, as the local did and it would soon be time for a new priest, a younger priest to take over the duties of watched over the sleeping demon...

He smiled, it would be nice to be able to wear his real face again...

The old priest would leave the key to the shrine with the old woman who lived in the village just to the south...

As a young girl he'd saved her family from bandits and she would visit the shrine every so often, leaving some small offering and bringing him news of the outside world...

The **NEW** priest would retrieve the keys in a few weeks...

Enough time for a trip one of the larger towns he'd heard so much about...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

He smiled, since the crash, he visited Funaho and seen that she was doing nicely...

It seem that the locals had even taken to hanging prays in her lower branches...

She even offered to contact a fellow tree-ship and have them both rescued, but he'd declined, so she pretended to take root...

He knew he couldn't go home, for his return home would cause civil war, due to his non-Juraian blood and his position as next in line for the throne...

He hated to shift the weight to little Ayeka's shoulders, but he knew she had a better chance of ruling peacefully than he did...

Besides, hadn't Tsunami appeared a number of times over the past few decades?...

Smiling at him and nodding her head?...

Something told him that he was doing the right thing...

Smiling, he put the empty cup in his robe pocket and headed to the shrine...

There were still a few things he needed to do before he left...

Some thing told him that the future held a brighter future...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclamer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 02... Chance Meeting...**

**( Island nation of Nippon, 1287... ) **

**. . . . . . . . . .**

In less turbulent times being a Shinto priest would have pasted without notice...

But these were less than normal times...

In the past couple of decades, Kublai Khan, the ruler of the vast Mongol empire on the mainland, had tried invading this island nation and failed...

The first invasion fleet had landed a force of over 20,000 warriors on the western coast and was doing well against the less experienced force of defenders who'd been gathered to oppose them...

The invaders used tactics the defenders had never seen before...

The invaders fought in mass, where as the defenders had only fought one-on-one battles...

The invaders showered the defenders with swarms of arrows, another new idea...

However, because of an approaching storm, the invaders reboarded their ships and put out to sea...

As it turned out, this was **NOT **a wise decision...

A large number of the ships were sunk and the surviving invaders returned to the mainland...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

However, knowing the Khan's desire to add them to his mighty empire, the defenders proceeded to construct walls along the coast and prepare for another attempt...

And come it did, only a few years before...

This time it was said that he wasn't taking any chances and the invading force numbered as many as a 150,000 warriors, many times the number of defenders...

A force that, once ashore, would sweep like a wave across the island, brushing any who opposed it aside with ease...

As it turned out, once again, the gods favored the defenders and once again a mighty wind had appeared...

A massive Typhoon, which swept the helpless invaders before it...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It seem that, besides insuring the island's independence, the Zen Buddhism of the Shikken Hojo Tokimore, who ruled from here in Kamakura, had also being spread, especially flourishing among the warrior class, the Samurai...

A new word was making the rounds, **KAMIKAZE**, "Divine Wind"...

To describe the wind, the Typhoon, which the gods had sent to save them from the Mongol invaders...

Katsuhito Masaki smiled...

In the robes of a Shinto priest, which he had only recently started wearing, he had never really considered the side effects of any actions he took or had to take, before...

It was strange to realize that his unplanned arrival on this small island had changed it's history...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Although he resembled the local people, Katsuhito Masaki was a being from another world...

He was also far older than his elderly appearance suggested, **MUCH **older...

His white hair and small pair of eyeglasses were to make him less threatening...

The robes helped him to blend in, but also were part of his background, as the priest of a small shrine far to the west...

In fact, the shrine was created just after the recent invasion...

Created to protect this world from the "Demon" that was responsible for that Divine Wind, another being from the stars...

A being of vast powers that had been sent on a rampage by another being...

When Katsuhito had cornered the demon on this island, the force of their battle not only scarred the landscape, but created the Typhoon which sank the invading fleet, just their bad timing...

Subduing the "Demon", Katsuhito had sealed her within a chamber, deep underground, where even now she slept...

He had planned on destroying the "Demon", but upon capturing it discovered it wasn't was what he'd thought it was...

What he'd thought was a wild uncontrollable creature, had been a female, with great powers, controlled by another...

Katsuhito had an ability to "See things", the future to a degree and he saw an innocent child in his arms...

So, he put her to sleep, to slowly recover from her ordeal, to one day return to the outside at a better time...

The shrine protected her sleeping place, hidden from those who might accident awake her too early, as well as for eyes above the planet's surface...

Her "Master" would be looking for his most powerful weapon, thus Katsuhito was protecting the galaxy, as well as this world...

For if Kagato found her, he would want to test her and this world would be defenseless...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

But right now he was headed to a local tavern, to meet some one he'd made friends with only the other day...

A young local, who had recently been appointed to a rather important post, chief sword-smith...

He was one of many changes made by the new Emperor, upon assuming power...

The 92nd Emperor, Fushimi, who replaced Emperor GoUda, who had abdication under political pressures...

Goro Nyudo Masamune was under great pressure to produce or be replaced too...

Katsuhito had over heard the young man discussing sword making with another male...

After introducing himself, as a Shinto priest just in from the western part of the island, doing some traveling before returning to his shrine, he joined the discussion...

Back on his home world, Katsuhito had been considered a master swordsman and in his younger years, he had been fascinated by how metal swords were created...

It had been a very interesting conversation...

However as it progressed, there seem to be something missing...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

A step in the process that they used back home wasn't among those they used locally...

He'd had to check on some thing before continuing...

Later, at a local Shinto shrine he was staying at, he went into a sort of meditative trance...

But it wasn't for meditation...

He needed peace and quiet to contact his "ship" or to be more precise, it's control mechanism, a tree...

His home world used rare, intelligent trees to operate some of the most powerful star-ships in the Galaxy...

And being crown prince of his world, PrinceYosho Masaki Jurai, he had been bonded to a very powerful tree, one he had named after his mother, 1st. Queen Funaho...

After crashing on this world, he'd been surprised that the tree hadn't taken root and begun regressing to an ordinary tree, as usually happen in such situations...

As it was, he discovered that a number of factors had saved the tree...

Thus, he could still remain in contact with it, for short periods, over large distances...

Not as far as before, but enough if he concentrated...

It had taken a while, but Funaho confirmed what he'd thought...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As he entered the tavern, his new friend was waiting...

Joining him, his friend smiled and passed him a mug of the local beverage called nihonshu, made from fermented rice...

Also known as sake in some places...

Since landing here he'd found that he was less likely to get sick by drinking an alcoholic drink than from some sources of water on this planet...

Funaho was able to keep him healthy, but with difficulty...

Best to not press matters...

Sighing, he'd been thirsty...

Smiling, he turned to his friend...

" **It seems I was correct... With a little meditation, I recalled how they did it back home...** "

Masamune leaned closer as Katsuhito began to relate sword making as done "back home"...

He didn't mention how many light-years away his home was...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Masamune sat there for a while after Katsuhito finished, a surprised look on his face...

" **How could we have missed something so simple?...** "

Katsuhito smiled and shrugged his shoulders, a gesture he'd picked up since the crash...

" **That would increase the strength of the blade 10-fold and still remain flexible...** "

After thinking it over for a moment, Katsuhito nodded his head before replying...

" **Many things seem simple once you know about them... It's the experimenting to get there that is the hard part...** "

Katsuhito didn't mention how many thousands of years it had taken the sword makers back home to get where they were...

" **Now that you know the HOW, all you have to do is see if you have the skill to do it...** "

Masamune smiled and nodded his head...

" **I can't wait to get back to work and try this out...** "

Katsuhito smiled, he had faith in his new friend...

" **It may take time to get it right, but I'm sure you'll be able to do it...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Masamune smiled back...

" **How can I ever thank you?...** "

Katsuhito thought for a moment before repling...

" **It would be nice to have one of your swords...** "

Masamune nodded and reached under the table, pulling out a katana in it's saya or sheath...

" **This was one was created by my sensei, Shintogo Kunimitsu... Use it, until I'm able to create one for you!... **"

Katsuhito smiled and nodded, his hand on the sword...

" **I shall take care of this until I can exchange it for one of yours... **"

After a few last words, his friend got up and left, headed back to his forge, to put his new knowledge into practice …

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Katsuhito had a piece of Juraian metal at the shrine, just large enough to make a blade from...

He smiled and drank some more Sake...

Due to it's hardness, it would be a true test of his friend's ability...

But if created, it could cut through other swords and armor as if they were made of butter...

Although he had the Tenchi-ken, his key and weapon...

But using it would reveal his being from else where and he was sure that some where on this world were others also from off world...

Others he did not want know he was here or why he was here...

Better to have local weapons to use in defending himself and the shrine...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Getting up, he slipped the katana under his robe...

He did it carefully, so as not to attract attention...

A katana like this was not only sought as a weapon, but also for how much gold it would bring...

Best not to wave something of value before others who might be watching...

There were always those who would slit your throat for the few copper pieces that you might have...

Finishing his drink, he flipped it over on the table and headed towards the door...

As he exited, he saw two males over to the side get up...

Stepping out, into the dim light of late day, he sensed the two following him out...

It seem that they had seen the katana...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Sighing Katsuhito headed back to he shrine...

A few blocks away he entered an darkened passage between two buildings...

He couldn't help smiling, it seem that he had some one waiting at the other end...

Taking a large section of his robe and held it out ahead of him, on the end of the katana, about eye level...

As the cloth exited from between the two buildings a club hit the end of the katana...

And as he stepped from the buildings, he came upon two surprised males...

Holding the katana out, blade down, he exposed a inch of so of blade with his thumb...

That was enough for the two would-be thieves...

They disappeared into the shadows, in the blink of an eye...

Katsuhito let the blade drop back into it's sheath...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

He sighed...

It seem that he may have over stayed his welcome...

But it had been a successful trip...

Not only had he managed to make it so far from the shrine, but he was still able to remain in contact with Funaho...

On top of that, he made the acquaintance of a renowned weapons maker...

If every thing went well, he would have protection for future trips...

The Tenchi-ken was useful, but an energy blade would attract **TOO** much attention...

This was a very truly a very large and fascinating world...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

A short while later he was back at the shrine again...

Stand on the outer steps, he looked at his surroundings...

He would stay the night and leave in the morning...

It would take a while to get back to the shrine, if he took his time...

But he wasn't worried, in the case of an emergency, Funaho would let him know...

And she had a "**few tricks up her sleeve**", as the locals said...

Ways of protecting the shrine and the demon's cave...

But they weren't ways available to this world, a sure way to attract unwanted attention...

He wondered if he should try to see if a boat was headed his way or return across country?...

Stretching, he decided to check the docks before deciding...

Sighing he turned and entered the shrine...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclamer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 03... The Beginning...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Long ago and Far away... )**

Yosho Masaki Jurai, the young crown prince of the Juraian Empire, son of Emperor Azusa Masaki Jurai and first Queen Funaho Masaki Jurai stood on the steps to the old shrine...

Even with being young ( less than a couple of 100 years old ) and the abilities that came with having Juraian Royal Blood, it had still been quite a climb up the long, winding stone stairs, to the stone structure among the trees upon this tall hill...

A stone path lead from the small clearing, where he'd left his hovercraft, through the forest of huge trees that surrounded the hill ( some so tall that their tops were almost as high as the hill it's self ), to the foot of the stairs...

But the view of the surrounding forest was worth the struggle to get here...

Perhaps he'd bring his new baby sister up here to see this, she loved nature...

But that would have to wait, he had a reason for coming all this way...

Thou built of the hardest stone, it was clear to see that both the stairs and the shrine had been here a very long time...

From what little he could learn, it was said to have been old even before the Empire existed...

Which meant that it was at-least tens of thousands of years old, if not hundreds of thousands of years...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It was said that this was **THE** oldest shrine on Jurai...

That it had been here before there had been an Empire, before there had even been a Jurai clan...

It had been created of the hardest stone known to exist, even a heavy military blaster couldn't cut it...

And yet it had been here long enough for time to had eaten at the carvings and writing until they were now little more than scratches on the wall...

There was also much speculation as to why it was located almost exact on the opposite side of the planet from the capital of the Empire...

Or had the capital had been build on the opposite side from it for some reason...

With over a 100,000 years of history, there were whole libraries of books, written about just the shrine it's self...

And in the past 10,000 years, there were mountains data crystals with new theories and suggestions...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It was so old that no one even knew what Deity it had been built for...

Before the Empire, there were hundreds, if not thousands of gods and goddesses being worshiped on the countless planets that had life on them...

And as every one knew, Religion was a major factor in most conflicts...

Like every one else, even his life was effected by "Religion"...

One of his problems...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Yosho ran his hand across the few symbols that remained...

In all those years, no one had been able to translate them and have the scientific community accept it...

Only one thing was known or at-least was accepted...

That it was probably built by the ancient race referred to as the "Precursors" who were said to have seeded the galaxy with "Life"...

The galaxy was sprinkled with small bit that hinted of a civilization would make even the mighty Jurai look like just another backwater world...

A small group of space wanders discovered a small collection of "Precursors" artifacts and created one of the few rivals that the Juraian Empire had, Airai...

And as a Juraian Prince that was another of his problems...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Yosho took a deep breath...

Theses days, most people in the civilized galaxy worshiped Lady Tsunami, one of the three Chousin Goddesses...

She and her two sisters were said to have created the universe billions of years, but now no one seem to be able to recall the names of her sisters...

According to legends, long ago a member of the Juraian Clan came upon the sleeping form of Tsunami on the far side of this very world...

When she awoke, it was said that they made a pact where she would protect his clan...

And so, with her watching, the Juraian clan stepped forward and began it's expansion into an Empire...

How ever, Airai, which was the major religion center of those that worshiped Lady Tsunami, had somehow come to the conclusion that the Juraians had captured their Goddess and were using her powers to their own ends...

This had led to several confrontations in the past...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

But none of that concerned the young prince...

He had a number of problems, but he had not been able to find any answers...

Then some one had suggested that he come all the way out here...

That it was said that here was where one could find answers to even the hardest questions...

The oddest thing was that now he couldn't seem to recall who it was that had suggested it...

Due to the power of Jurai, he had discovered that he could some times see things that were about to happen or that would happen at a later time...

This ability had helped him survive many duels and saved his life many times...

But new visions had appeared that he could not understand or explain...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Visions of a woman with purple hair fighting another woman with spiked silver hair, another female with yellow hair trying to get them to stop...

For some reason the two females fighting seem familiar, as if he should know who they were...

Other figures would appear but none could get the two to stop, until a male had stepped forward...

He had dark hair and unafraid...

With just his soft touch, the two female would stop fighting and each would take one of his hands, resting their heads on his shoulders...

The yellow haired female would stand behind him and put her arms around him, eyes closed, a smile on her face...

And there were all those other females, on the edge of his vision...

Why was he having these visions?...

Were they really part of his future?...

What did they mean?...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **Can I help you?... **"

A startled Yosho reached for Tenchi-kin, his tree key and sword...

An elderly male stood off to one side of the shrine...

His graying hair told of a long life, the mustache and pair of square, rimless glasses that he wore gave him an air of wisdom...

The lightly colored robes that he wore were unfamiliar to Yosho, but were clearly those of some religious order...

" **Have we met before?... **"

The priest smiled as he replied...

" **Have you been here before?... I've been here a long time watching over this shrine... **"

Yosho smiled and shook his head, like others of his generation, with the ability to visit the distant stars, they'd never visited the places just around the corner...

But in the back of his mind, there was an itch he was just unable to scratch...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **You have a question?...** "

Yosho nodded his head...

" **I've been having visions and they confuse me... Are they just dreams or are they really events, which have yet to come?... Will I do the right thing, when the time comes?...** "

The priest tilted his head slightly and smiled...

" **Are you questioning your past or wanting me to tell your future?... **"

Yosho started to reply, but then realized that he hadn't really needed an answer...

He smiled as he shook his head...

" **With every thing happening of late, I was unsure of myself... I was unsure of the future... **"

" **And now?... **"

Yosho smiled...

" **I remembered something my mother would say when asked about the future... **"

The priest stood silent, waiting...

"** I'll cross that bridge when I get to it!... **"

The priest nodded his head...

Some thing acqured to Yosho...

" **I didn't get your name?...** "

The priest smiled...

" **Call me Katsuhito!...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Looked over Yosho's shoulder, the priest spoke again...

"** It's really is a magnificent view, don't you think?... **"

Smiling, Yosho turned and looked below and a thought acquired to him...

_**Shouldn't there be a lake and house down there?...**_

Standing behind Yosho, the priest waved his right hand in the air and spoke ever so softly...

" **You will forget, young one!... And not worry... The future will be here soon enough... **"

Turning back around, Yosho found himself all alone...

Why had he expected to find some one there?...

Taking in the view from the steps of the old shrine, he thought about how beautiful it was...

It had been a long climb, but the view of the surrounding forest was worth the struggle to get here...

Perhaps he'd bring his new baby sister up here to see this, she loved nature...

He must have lost track of time, it was getting late and it would take a while to return to his hovercraft...

As he started down the stairs, he had to smile...

For the first time in quite a while, he felt much better...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

A figure stood on the shrine steps as Yosho began his decent...

However this was not the elderly priest that had been there before...

Though humanoid in shape, it's skin was green and scaly...

It's eyes were slitted and when it smiled, sets of sharp teeth could be seen...

" **Was that to you satisfaction?... My Lady?... **"

The transparent image of a female with long light blue hair appeared...

She showed no expression as she looked at the top of the stairs...

" **Quite well... Thank you... **"

With a wave of her hand a black doorway appeared nearby...

Her companion paused, looking at where the crown prince had disappeared...

" **The females within his dreams?... One of them was you, wasn't it?... **"

The female said nothing...

Turning, her companion stopped before the doorway...

" **Just to satisfy an old dragon's curiosity!... Who were those people?... **"

For the first time she showed emotion, she smiled...

" **My future family!... **"

Her companion nodded his head and entered the doorway, which disappeared...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclamer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 04... Local natives...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Northern Plains of the North American Continent, June 1876... )**

A number of the local natives ( called redskins or Indians back East ), on horse-back, approached the rise just ahead and looked down into the vast valley below…

Below was a very large encampment of their fellow natives and was, for the moment, their home…

With a slight motion of his hand, the leader began his way down the gentle slope and the others followed…

Even at a slow pace, it really didn't take very long to reach the edge of the 'village'…

As they moved among the cone shaped dwellings, called Tipis, few of those on the ground paid any attention to this small hunting party…

However, their extra member, riding one of the pack horses, did draw their attention, which they tried not to show…

He was like nothing any of them had ever seen before…

They didn't know if they should take it as a good or bad omen…

They would leave it to the elders and go back to what they were doing…

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The party's young leader soon came to a very large, very old tipi and stopped..

After taking a deep breath he then, very slowly, got off his horse…

He really wasn't anxious to report the results of several days of hunting...

He had covered a large area and all he had returned with was a few small animals...

And the stranger…

But some thing told him that the elders would want to see this one…

Closing his eyes, he thought back to the day before, as they were on their way back to the village...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Day before...)**

They had just topped a slight rise when they had seen a very strange sight, a figure dressed in odd wear walking slowly across the vast plain, all alone…

Looking in all direction, the young leader saw nothing, as far as the eye could see…

There was no one else or any thing to be seen, so how had he even gotten here?...

Only as they got real close did the figure made any note of them, coming to a stop and standing there, as if awaiting them…

Even as they approached and then slowly rode around the figure, at a distance, he made no attempt to flee or even react…

It was as if he were waiting for them to make the first move…

Slowly approaching the surrounded figure, the leader had sighed and raised his arm in greeting…

It was then that the figure reacted, they looked at their hand, then raised it too…

However, he spoke in a tongue that the leader had never heard before and smiled…

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The present...)**

The leader looked back at their 'guest', who was looking around, taking in all that was around him…

Not being able to delay any more, as the others watched, he took a deep breath and entered the tipi…

To the others, he looked as if he didn't expect to return…

Leading a hunting party was a very important duty and he'd returned with hardy enough to feed a single family, as well as yet another mouth…

However, his head reappeared and he gestured for their 'guest' to enter…

With a slight awkwardness, he dismounted, much to the others amusement…

Other than the present amusement, there hadn't been much to smile about of late…

Many young warriors had been assigned to hunting duty, but it was important…

Even with all the hunting parties out, food was still limited, with the women and children being served first, mostly a thin stew or soup…

And their catch would barely add flavoring to the large pot…

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Inside... )**

Katsuhito Masaki stood there for a while, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light within the enclosure…

He had spent most of his life traveling with the help of the stars and on this planet, at night, they had taken him any where he had wanted to go…

With the end of the recent Civil war and the new movement westward, it had seemed easier to travel this way, than to cross Europe and Asia, where new conflicts seem to be brewing…

In the past year, he'd traveled across this Continent several times...

Having made it to the west coast the year before, he discovered that travel across the Pacific, to Nippon and his home was being restricted…

He had to return the the capital in the East and get some papers from some friends in the government...

Rather than take the train back to the west coast, he'd gone to Chicago and acquired a horse...

This time he was headed to the west coast and the Oregon Territory…

There he was sure he would be able to catch a ship back...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

And at the time it had seem like a nice, relaxing way to see some of the countryside and get back to nature after spending so long, buried deep in so-called 'civilization'…

The northern territories were beautiful and he had been enjoying his travels...

That is, until a couple of weeks before...

His horse had broken it's leg and he's had to put it down...

He had been walking since then, some thing he'd been doing all his life, continuing westward...

Every now and then he thought he saw a female with light blue hair watching him...

So he really wasn't that worried...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

And, as it was, if you knew where to look, there was plenty to eat in this land of plenty…

You just had to be willing to eat any thing…

But considering some of the things he had eaten in his life, the local eatables was almost a delicacy...

His meeting some of the local natives was just luck…

Perhaps he could arrange some form of transportation…

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he looked around the small room he was in...

Besides the young native who had brought him here, there was a mature native and what he assumed was an elder…

( He would later learn that the mature male was called **Crazy Horse** and the elder, **Sitting Bull**… )

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The 'boy' spoke in a language Katsuhito didn't understand…

" **I found this strange one and brought him here…** "

The other two looked at the stranger, then back at him…

" **He was just south of the village, walking westward…** "

**THIS** did get a reaction, a slight raised eyebrow…

The mature male spoke…

" **Could he be spy for blue coats?...** "

The elder had been watching the stranger's calm reactions and a thought accrued to him…

He spoke to the stranger in very broken English…

" **Holy?... man?...** "

His answer was a smile and nod of the head…

**. . . . . . . . . .**

However Katsuhito's eyes lost their focus as he suddenly froze..

Like many times before, he saw some thing...

This time he saw many figures fighting, there was no sound and there were no real details…

Just some figures in blue, others in red…

Slowly the vision began to fade…

As it did, he was able to see the others, sitting in the 'room'…

The older two were watching him closely, the younger one had a very confused look on his face…

It was the oldest who spoke up…

" **Vision?… Have?... You?...** "

Katsuhito tried to smile, but nodded his head, saying nothing…

" **Many… Blue coats… Come!...** "

It appeared that he was not the only one to have this gift, he nodded his head…

The elder turned to the others and spoke in his native tongue.…

" **He is also a holy man… And he too has seen the blue coats come… He is not to be touched…** "

He got up and walked to the entrance to the tipi and left…

The other two followed

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Later… )**

Katsuhito stood on a slight rise, holding the reins of his new horse, given to him for his travel…

It had been a long and bloody day…

The blue coats, government troops, had indeed come and had been thrown back, with very heavy loses…

Word was spreading that '**Yellow Hair**' Custer was among those who had died…

There had been much celebrating among the campfires…

In fact, the horse he had been give was one of the blue coat's ponies…

Katsuhito had thought it best to decline one of the many captured carbines, when offered one…

Then word had come, many more blue coats were on their way…

And the great village, on the banks of the little Big Horn, began to break up and scatter to the winds…

The last great battle of the plains was over…

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Unable to watch a way of live disappear, Katsuhito turned back to the young man who'd brought him into camp, waiting on his house, with a few others…

As far as Katsuhito could make out, the young man was called, American Horse…

He and the others were to escort Katsuhito across the plains, safely…

Katsuhito saw great things within this young man…

As it was, Katsuhito had come to the conclusion that while crossing vast sections of wilderness was enjoyable, he should have been better prepared…

Perhaps he should have just taken the easy route, the transcontinental railroad, again, further to the south…

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Climbing up, into the saddle, the thought that he just might be getting old, accrued to him…

Then he smiled and shook his head…

He still had a couple of thousand years left, if he didn't get involved with people like that George A. Custer fellow or Kagato…

Now there were some people he'd rather not run into…

He noticed his guide watching him and smiled, nodding his head…

With that they headed out, within a few weeks they should be close to fort Hall on the Oregon Trail, there he could catch a stage the rest of the way…

Then it would be smooth sailing…

Or so he thought…

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	5. Chapter 5

**Mihoshi's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclamer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Mihoshi's Tales...**

( **Star-liner Corridor...** )

It had been a quiet day and Mihoshi was a bit upset...

It was time to eat and she hadn't been able to decide on what to wear to the dining room...

A smiling Ayeka, Ryoko and Tenchi had already left, not waiting for her to decide...

She couldn't blame them, it could take her hours to decide on what to wear some times...

She'd finally decided on a pair of red slacks and a white blouse...

She didn't feel like dressing up like Ayeka and Ryoko...

Ayeka wearing an expensive blue gown, while Ryoko wore her new black one...

Gowns they'd spent hours shopping for at the last planet the liner had visited...

A tourist world with high priced shops and even higher priced items...

But nether Ayeka or Ryoko were worried, the Juraian Empire was footing the bill for this little cruse...

In other words, Ayeka's father, Emperor Azusa...

At the insistence of his Queens, 1st. Queen Funaho and 2nd Queen Misaki...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

A short time before, Washu and the girls had decided to try a little experiment...

In the past, under certain situations, Tenchi would develop a nose bleed, a trait inherited from his father...

But Washu had reported that he had shown improvement in recent days and suggested they test Tenchi's sexual sensitivity...

After Ayeka and Ryoko did some shopping in the local city, outfits for all three had been acquired...

Ryoko would wear what was labeled as the '**Naughty Pirate's Outfit**', Mihoshi would wear one labeled '**Naughty Police Officer's Uniform**' and last, but not least, Ayeki would put on the '**Naughty Princess Gown**'...

It seem that by wearing these very suggestive garments, they did manage to get Tenchi down to his boxers...

Then, due to all the excitement, the nervousness and the sake, as well as their promise to the Royal Family to do nothing before the wedding, that was as far as it went, just a lot of teasing...

( Not that Ryoko hadn't considered continuing... )

And **THAT** was how, when the Queens returned to the Masaki house unexpected, they had discovered Tenchi and the girls...

With a smiling Tenchi on the floor, Ayeka on one side, Ryoko on the other and a giggling Mihoshi on top...

Only Washu's assurance that it was a test, with positive results ( **NO NOSE BLEED **), had kept the Queens from shipping all four of them off to Jurai, for a quick wedding there...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As a further test, a trip aboard a star-liner was arranged to see how they could get along, together, in public...

A pair of adjoining staterooms were booked ( at **GREAT** expense ) aboard the Jurai star-liner _**Morning Star**_, something that usually had to be done almost a year in advance...

One room for Tenchi, the other, with three beds, for the girls...

By the halfway point of the trip, a good portion of Tenchi's stateroom was being used for storing things that the girls had bought so-far...

Gifts, presents, new outfits and general souvenirs...

Only a lack of space kept Mihoshi from being able to buy the 15 foot stuffed lizard on the last planet...

Tenchi managed to talk her into a small stuffed animal that looked a lot like Ryo-Ohki instead...

As for the test part of the trip, except for a few small spats, Ayeka and Ryoko were doing nicely...

Each getting to dance with Tenchi on the dance floor, each having time alone on the 'star deck' with him...

From what Washu had told the girls the other night, the '**Test**' seem to prove that getting married wasn't such a fantasy, as some thought, after all...

Now all Mihoshi had to do was get down to the dining room before they stopped serving...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

She hadn't noticed how quiet the ship was, no one talking, the engines off, etc...

Her mind was focused on food as she open the door and stepped into the Dining room...

She didn't even pay attention to the unusual males who were moving among the passengers with big bags...

She spotted Tenchi and the others talking to what looked like ship's officers and headed their way...

It was then that she heard one of the males speak...

" **And who are you?... The demon pirate Ryoko?... **"

Mihoshi smiled, it seem the others were making some new friends...

Before Ryoko could reply, she spoke up...

" **Hey, guys...I'm sorry I'm so late... **"

One of the three males standing next to the table turned, a big smile on his face...

Until he saw who was talking, that is...

Then the smile disappeared and he pointed at her...

" **NO!... Not HER!... Not HERE!... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Turning to look behind her, Mihoshi didn't see the dark haired male move behind another of the males standing there...

" **Mihoshi Kuramitsu?... **"

Hearing her name, she turned back around to see the dark haired male standing behind another, this one with white hair, who was smiling...

This male turned to the table, where Tenchi seem to comforting Ayeka and Ryoko, who had their heads on the table for some reason...

Bowing, she heard his speak...

" **Your Royal Highness... **"

She didn't notice that all the odd males in the room, who'd been slowly moving away from her, were now staring at Tenchi...

" **Or should I saw Crown Prince... **"

At that the males began moving even faster...

Tenchi sighed before replying, with his usual cute smile...

" **No need for titles, Fragga... Tenchi will do... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

That seem to be all that was needed...

All the standing males in the room dropped what they were carrying and ran for the exit...

The last male, Fragga, smiled and bowed slightly to Mihoshi before turning and walking to and out the exit...

When the door closed, a smiling Mihoshi turned back to a smiling Tenchi...

" **Did I miss something?... **"

While Tenchi continued to smile, she heard both Ayeka and Ryoko, their heads on the table, moan and sob...

Stroking both of them Tenchi managed not to laugh...

In the silence, Mihoshi looked around and noticed that no one moving or eating, if fact most of them seem to be looking her way...

" **They haven't finished serving yet, have they?... **"

This seem to get a chuckle from Tenchi and a few more sobs and moans from Ayeka and Ryoko...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	6. Chapter 6

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 06... Robo Tale...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Some where in space... ) **

**REBOOT!... REBOOT!... REBOOT!...**

_**Ahhh!... What the...?... Where?... How?...**_

It took longer than normal, but a quick scan of the surrounding area indicated that the ship wasn't where it was suppose to be...

A sweep of the ship indicated that no one was on board and that there was now another craft connected by an access tube...

A study of the control panel indicated that flight control was offline at the moment and could only be returned manually...

A check of the communications station indicate that it too was offline...

_**So much for calling for help!...**_

There was at least one good thing, since weapons could only be accessed online and with help of the ship's **AI** ( artificial Intelligence ) unit, that meant that weapons were also offline...

In fact, as the **AI** ran almost every system on-board there was a good chance the ship weren't going any where for a while...

At least until a much large crew was brought on board to operate the different systems...

_**Mihoshi, Mihoshi, Mihoshi... Where are you when I need you...**_

If _**Yukinojo**_ could do it, he'd shake his artificial head, which was located in the over head on the bridge...

However, with most systems down, he didn't even have access to that at the moment...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Due to the low back-up battery supply and the very low light input from this star system's star, it was rather hard for him to concentrate...

_**Yukinojo**_ decided to review every thing that he knew...

Which was, that Officer Kiyone Makibi had been using of _**Yukinojo**_ during her assigned patrol duties, while his assigned Officer, Mihoshi kuramitsu was else where...

He still couldn't bring himself to calling her by her married name, Masaki or by her new title of Princess of Jurai...

Earlier, Kiyone had taken the _**Yukinojo **_out of the **0315** system to answer a fading emergency call in a nearby system, one of the major duties of the **GP**...

They had arrived to find a small ship, slowly spinning in what appeared to be a cloud of smoke and what could have been ship parts...

As they got to within a few hundred feet of the craft, a small harpoon, trailing a fine wire, had been shot at the _**Yukinojo**_...

The harpoon then managed to attatch its self to the hull before _**Yukinojo**_ could raise the shields and then sent a powerful electric charge through the hull and the entire ship...

This low tech approach managed to bypass all of the very high tech defenses installed on the Galaxy Police cruiser, knocking the systems offline and Kiyone unconscious...

Had this been any other Galaxy Patrol craft, other than the _**Yukinojo,**_ they might have even gotten away clean with it...

The electric impulse had been quite powerful and should have had quite easily have 'fried' ( destroyed ) all the ship's electrical systems - completely...

But after all his years serving under Mihoshi, this had been just an inconvenience...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Not only had his time with Mihoshi widened his experience with emergencies, but over time, Washu had not only repaired his hull, time-after-time, but had even up-graded it so that it could not only resist much stronger physical damage, but it could also absorb much stronger energy hits...

Even so, in this case, it had still been just strong enough to kick him off line for a while, in other words, cause him to blackout...

_**Yukinojo** _wasn't sure for how long he was off line, but it must have been long enough for intruders to get aboard and secure the ship...

It was quite likely that they believed that the ship's **AI** was little more than burnt out wiring...

The smell of burnt wiring, floating in the air, tended to help that impression...

_**Yukinojo **_reviewed his scanned material and he was quickly able to locate Officer Makibi, who was now on a bunk in one of the ship's holding cells...

Using the cell's sensors, he was relieved to find that her pulse was regular and that her life signs were steady, how ever, she was still unconscious for the charge...

He knew that Mihoshi would be very happy to hear that...

That just left the little matter of discovering who it was that was responsible for this attack...

Noise near the entrance area drew his attention to the access tube and a number of voices...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Accessing the nearest camera, _**Yukinojo**_ watched as two young males and a female, cheerfully exited the tube...

They were wearing the casual wear that was the latest **'In Fashion'** with young people of Juraian's upper class these days...

One of the males and the female had tanned skin and yellow hair, which seem to indicate they might be from Seniwa, which was Mihoshi's home world...

The other male, normal skin, dark hair, wore a much more expensive style of garb that was in fashion with Jurai's Royal upper classes...

These three were followed by three older males, who were wearing the working suits that _**Yukinojo**_ recognized at once as being favored by space pirates...

And, if the patches on their shoulders were to be believed, they were of the infamous Deluna space pirate clan, people who were not known for putting up with Juraian youths...

But it seem that a chance to get their hands on a Galaxy Police space cruiser might have increased their tolerances...

It was common knowledge that **GP** Cruisers had special systems built into them to destroy any top secret devices and weapons to prevent just this from happening...

By disabling those systems, the secrets of the Galaxy Police were now at their fingertips...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As _**Yukinojo**_ watched, the male in royal style garb seem to be showing one of the pirates, the leader, around, pointing out this and that to him...

It was as if he were trying to sale a used hover craft to a perspective buyer...

_**Yukinojo**_ didn't like being referred to as a used craft with this or that wear and tear...

He was in fact the latest state of the art Artificial Intelligence, operating one of the most powerful cruisers within the **GP**...

By chance, _**Yukinojo**_ noticed that the other two pirates were standing just outside the door to the bridge, away from the others...

They seem to be looking at the young female when none of the others were watching...

It accrued to _**Yukinojo **_that the tolerance might not last much longer...

Adjusting the volume on a sensor near them, _**Yukinojo**_ was able to pick up some of their conversation to go with the video he was recording with a nearby camera...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **Why do we have to put up with these brats?... **"

They both looked onto the bridge and at the youths...

" **That one's father is high up in the Jurai government, this little transaction might give us access to some valuable data on the GP, but it might also give us a way to acquire more reliable information about what Jurai is doing, as well... The other one's a member of the Kimura clan on Seniwa, a very well to do family...** "

One of them nodded at the female...

" **And the girl?... **"

" **A member of a minor Seniwa Clan... **"

They looked her over...

" **There's always a chance of a ransom and if not, she might prove to be some fun... **"

_**Yukinojo**_ could even see the two smiling...

He doubled checked his internal security systems, they were all were back up and ready for his use...

Almost on cue, a sensor in the holding cell indicated that Kiyone was beginning to coming to...

_**Yukinojo**_ almost chuckled as he set off the ship's silent intruder defenses, sleeping gas...

_**Good night every one!...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Much later... )**

Kiyone sat at her station on the bridge, drinking some of the wonderful tea that Sasami had made for her just before she had headed out on patrol this morning...

Hovering above her control panel were two small screens...

On one screen were the three members of the Deluna Clan, groggy and not looking at all happy...

What had originally looked like a sure thing, was now in pieces...

Not only had they been caught, but _**Yukinojo**_ had managed to record the whole transaction, but had it safely stored in a secure data file...

The **GP** was going to throw the book at them...

If that was not enough, the clan was not going to be too happy ether, as the payment in gold bars had also been confiscated, as evidence...

As Kiyone recorded her report of events, using _**Yukinojo's**_ recorded date, she still wasn't too happy about the way what was suppose to be a simple rescue had turned out...

She had let her guard down for a moment and almost become Missing-in-Action, along with the _**Yukinojo**_...

There was a large wall at headquarters with small stars for those killed or missing since the GP was created...

Though being Mihoshi's partner had always seem bad for her career, she also realized that once again that their connection had once again kept her off that wall...

_**SIGH...**_

At least some good had come out of all this, as it did reveal the little problem with the shields and the use of a very powerful energy charge...

As embarrassing as having being over powered might have seen, it was much better that it had been the _**Yukinojo**_ rather than one of the lesser prepared cruisers...

This would also also go far to proving that all that work that Washu had put into repairing the _**Yukinojo,**_ not to mention the cost the **GP** had put out, had really been worth it...

Chances were that, based on her report, other cruisers would be checked and then be refitted so as to prevent any similar attacks in the future...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The other screen showed the scared young female as well as her two young male companions...

As for these three youths, their futures were still up in the air, for the moment...

While talking to space pirates was one thing, trying to sale a **GP **cruiser to them was another...

Kiyone had heard of the Kimura clan from Ayeka after they returned from their recent visit to Mihoshi's home world...

A male from that clan had tried to embarrass Mihoshi in front of a large crowd, in a public square, but Tenchi and the others had stepped in and sent the young male running home with his tail between his legs...

She was quite sure that the Marshal, Mihoshi's grandfather, would like to have a few words with the young male, before she filed her final report...

As for the son of the Juraian Royal counsel member, there was a chance that Queen Funaho might want to have a few words with him...

Another thing to check with the Marshal about...

Kiyone had shown the female the footage where the pirates were discussing her and she had broken down, wanting to just go straight home...

She also didn't want to speak to her **EX**-boyfriend, the Kimura kid, ever again...

After going over the facts, Kiyone believed that the Marshal would arrange for an escort for the female and no charges would be made...

All in all, things seem to be working out for the better...

How even, both Kiyone and _**Yukinojo**_ did had one last thought in common...

_**Thank goodness Mihoshi wasn't here!...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	7. Chapter 7

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 07...**

**( Europe, long ago...)**

The short, quiet man stood with his hands behind him high upon the slight hill...

He had spent some time looking out upon what had once been quiet farm land...

But that had recently changed, as several large masses of living beings had maneuvered back and forth across this landscape...

Two very large military forces had met in a very large and very violent battle...

Now those fields, which had once been gentle rolling fields of grass and grain was covered with other things...

They were were now torn and ripped up, covered with human bodies, both whole or in pieces, along with the other debris and rubble that wars tended to leave behind...

The man watched as, below, men in various uniforms are slowly moving among the debris and bodies, carefully checking for any survivors...

There were also a few men who were collecting weapons and loading them into wagons...

But most of the men below were lifting bodies and moving them to wagons, to be taken else where...

All of the men below, no matter what they were doing, had rags over their faces, to keep out the smell of rotting flesh...

He had been told that he shouldn't watch, but he had replied that he must, for hadn't he been responsible for this carnage?...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The man, his hands still behind his back, continues to observe what was happening below, as an elderly man in robes, slowly approached...

Not turning, the first man calmly asked in a low voice..

" **You knew, Didn't you!...** "

Shaking his head, the new comer replied...

" **No!... But I will admit that I did have a feeling...** "...

The first man's eyes closed and he sighed...

" **Perhaps just a little hint?...** "...

The second man joined the first and observed the carnage below...

" **A man's life is judged by HIS decisions... You never were one to depend on seers before, do you feel that you need them now?...** "...

The first man chuckled...

" **As always, my friend, straight to the point...** "...

He then sighed...

"** I fear that I see but one road ahead of me now... The only question is in how long it is... **"

The taller man said nothing, for he too saw a single road, but he had an idea as to how long it was...

After a while the first man spoke again...

" **Do you have any feeling about the future?...** "...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Before any one could reply, a young officer in a clean red uniform, approach from below, he had two armed soldiers with him...

The officer came to a stop before the shorter of the two men, he managed to look down his nose as he spoke...

" **Sir... You will come with us!...** "...

As he waited for a reaction from the little man, he didn't notice a figure a short distance away struggled to get to it's feet...

The young man, who had been sitting nearby on the ground, once on his feet, managed to move until he was standing before the shorter male, blocking the officer's way...

The officer, who had been at headquarters, far behind the lines and well away from the battle, was taken back by the young man's appearance...

His uniform was so torn, dirty and bloody it was hard to tell, at first, which army he was with...

His left arm was wrapped in cloth and rested in a sling, a piece of rag, acting as a bandage, covered almost half his face, allowing vision from only one eye...

Moments before, he had been tired and sad, but in an instant he had an energy he hadn't had for some time...

" **YOU WILL SHOW RESPECT!...** "...

Startled, the young officer stepped back, bumping into the two soldiers behind him, they didn't react...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

He was about to comment when he began to note that there were others, other wounded soldiers, who had also been sitting there...

Many of them were wrapped in bandages, but he saw that the were trying to stand and make their way to the first young one...

The taller male hid a smile, even after the past couple day these men would still be willing to follow his friend...

They might be physically and mentally exhausted, but he could see a great determination in their eyes...

It was the shorter male who stepped forward and reached up, to place his hand upon the young soldier's shoulder, startling him...

Turning, the young male instantly went down on one knee and bowing his head...

" **SIRE!...** "

The shorter male smile and shook his head...

" **Sire no more... I am just another soldier now... **"...

The taller male smiled as he noted that the two armed soldiers, behind the young officer's back had come to attention and presented arms...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

His friend turned to the other soldiers, who had also knelt before him...

" **We have traveled a very long road... From one end of this world to the other... We have seen much glory and victory... But...** "

He looked behind them, down into the valley below...

" **We have also seen much sorrow and defeat... The time for swords and bayonets has passed... **"

He paused and sighed...

"** It is now time to begin building again... It is now the time to take up the hammer and the plow... **"

He looked at his friend who nodded back...

" **I have only one last order left to give... Return to your homes, live your life's well and always protect our native soil...** "...

There was a silence that followed, broken only by a soft sobbing here and there...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

He then turn to his taller companion and held out his hand...

" **Until we meet again...** "...

He noted that the taller male's eyes looked downward as he took his hand...

" **Not very likely?...** "

The taller male looked up and smiled...

" **Fate is said to be a female and we've both know how females tend to change their minds... Without rhyme or reason... The future is not set in stone... Live long... SIRE!...** "

The 45 year old, Emperor Napoleon the First, better known as Napoleon Bonaparte, smiled at the older priest from the far away Island kingdom of Nippon...

He knew that Katsuhito Masaki's use of his title was genuine, that he was a man of his word and since his return from exile on Elba, there were few he knew he could really trust as much...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

He turned back to the young soldier kneeling before him...

" **I find that I am in need of an escort... If you are not needed, might I avail myself of your company?... **"

The young soldier managed to stand, then bow...

The ex-Emperor of France turned to the young British officer...

" **I believe you were here to escort us some where?...** "

The stunned officer managed a nod, managed to turn and led the way off the small hill...

As Katsuhito watched them leave, he some how knew he would never see his young acquaintance again...

**( The man who rose from a second Lieutenant of Artillery to Emperor of France, would died May 5th. 1821, thousands of miles from home, on the south Atlantic island of Saint Helena of a peptic ulcer and gastric cancer... )**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	8. Chapter 8

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 08... A Marshall's tale...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Galaxy Police Headquarters... ) **

The Grand Marshall sat at his desk reviewing events of the last few years...

The simple turning of a metal key had set into motion events which were shaking the Galaxy to it's core...

There had been the disappearance of the powerful and destructive criminal Kain suddenly from his highly secure sub-space cell without a clue...

Only later was he confirmed destroyed and as only a few knew of the circumstances behind his 'escape' and 'death', the affair was quietly covered up - although some rumors did circulate...

The same thing had happen with the death of the Eternally most wanted criminal, Kagato, the details were considered by the Juraian Empire to involve Juraian secrets and once again covered up - with more rumors circulated...

Rumors also had it that a long sought after infamous space pirate had returned from hiding and deciding to go into retirement...

Then there was the young boy who had just joined the **GP**, he seem to attract pirates the way sweet Tafa attracted Beles, in mass...

It seem that all this had caused space piracy in general to began to declined some what, allowing law enforcement officers every where a chance to take heart and begin cracking down on regular pirates and criminals...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

According to some recent reports, space pirate activity seem to be slowly retreating from the inner sphere of civilized space and making it's way out into the wilder, more lawless outer sphere...

As this was an area not regularly patrolled by ether the Galaxy police or the Juraian military, this new activity called for the transfer of units from the inner sphere, out ward...

But this was also causing both Juraian and **GP** forces were beginning to be stretched very thinly...

That is until several weeks ago when the galaxy awoke to some very shocking news...

While on his way to Jurai, the new Crown Prince of Jurai had been attacked and killed by pirates within the inner sphere...

This was a cause for grave concerns, not only in the fact that a high ranking member of the Juraian Royal family had been killed, but that it had happen in what had been believed to be reasonably safe space...

Units, both Juraian and **GP**, were recalled from the outer sphere to reinforce those within the inner sphere looking for the Princes's killers...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The whole inner sphere had been in an uproar...

The Juraians 1st Princess's offering a huge reward for the heads of those responsible for the Crown Prince's death hadn't helped...

Bounty hunters, like the class A1 Nagi Katsumoro, had been after the small fortune that could buy them their very own planet...

In the middle of all **THAT**, his granddaughter, also a **GP** officer was kidnapped just outside Headquarters it's self, some thing else that had been quietly hushed up...

She was later rescued by an ex-space pirate and returned safely to headquarters...

And then there was that recent Juraian Ball, where the Juraian Emperor was to announce who would be the next crown prince, becoming the future Emperor and receive the hand of the first princess, Ayeka...

Being required to attend, representing the **GP**, he take his granddaughter with him as an escort...

And every one who watched the news or lived within the civilized Galaxy knew how that had turned out...

A lost treasure returned, the attempted over throw of Emperor Azusa, the sudden return of the dead prince and then his taking princess Ayeka, the ex-space pirate Ryoko, as well as his granddaughter to be his wives, princesses and future queens of Juraian Empire...

It had truly been a very interesting evening...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

His assistant opened his office door and stuck his head in, a big smile on his face...

" **Sir!... We just got word that the **_**Yukinojo**_** has just requested permission to dock... **"

The Grand Marshall smiled, he hadn't heard from his granddaughter since the ball a couple of days ago...

" **That should be no problem... **"

But some thing was odd, why would she be requesting permission?...

His assistant seem to be reading his thoughts and his smile got bigger...

" **She said she is requesting because she has a non-GP passenger with her and thought it best to get permission... **"

The Grand Marshall tried to think who Mihoshi might have with her that she was that concerned about and an eyebrow went up...

His assistant nodded his head...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( A short time later... )**

The Marshall was in the outer office when his granddaughter, Detective first class Mihoshi Katsuhito entered, being escorted by a young male with dark hair and a shy smile...

It had been a while, but it was hard to forget the young male's face...

When they made eye contact, the young male smiled and shook his head, much to the Marshall's delight...

With a smile the Marshall escorted Mihoshi into his office, leaving her escort to all the courious female **GP** officers in the outer office...

The Marshall's assistant watched as the females cornered the young male and began to ask all kinds of questions...

" **Is it true Mihoshi is now engaged to the Juraian Crown Prince?... Did the Royal family approve?... Are you Mihoshi's new partner?... What was the Crown Prince like?... Was it true he returned from the dead?... Are you Mihoshi's bodyguard?... Was he really over seven feet tall and gorgeous?... Did he really kill Kagato?... Are you Mihoshi's servant?... Did the Prince's other future wives approve?... Will she really be Queen some day?...** "

The young male smiled, scratched the back of his head and politely said nothing...

But the Marshall's assistant could see pride in his eyeseach time they asked more about officer Mihoshi...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Only when the Marshall's office door reopened did the females stop asking questions...

They watched as a very cheerful Mihoshi reentered the room and quickly moved to stand next to the young male...

Seeing that every one was looking her way, Mihoshi smiled and took a breath...

And then, in a soft sweet voice, made an announcement...

" **I would like to introduce every one to the most wonderful person in the whole universe, lord Tenchi Masaki... The recently returned Crown Prince of Jurai, the future Emperor of Jurai and my soon to be beloved husband...** "

Standing in his doorway, the Marshall could have heard a feather hit the floor...

He hadn't seen so many wide eyes and opened mouths since Amanie Kaunaq had reported to his office one day in her swim suit, having come directly from the pool in the gym...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Releasing Mihoshi's hand for a moment, prince Tenchi bowed to those in the office and asked them to " **Just call me Tenchi...**"...

He then turned back to Mihoshi and offered her his arm...

" **My Lady... **"

To every ones surprise, he took Mihoshi's hand and turned it slightly, so he could kiss the back of it, which proceeded to cause a good number of gasps and sighs...

Looking up, Tenchi catch the Marshall's eye and they exchanged nods...

Then, taking Mihoshi's arm, the two of them then proceeded to leave to complete silence...

Even after they were gone, the Marshall noted the number of still wide open mouths...

He also smiled as he took into account the number of unconscious females there were...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Just out of curioity he had asked Mihoshi about the others and she had sighed...

It seem that when she asked Tenchi to join her when she reported into headquarters, Ayeka and Ryoko had almost blown the roof off the house, quite literally...

However, Tenchi pointed out that as Mihoshi's future husband, he felt it was his duty to escort her back to her work area and get a feel for her world...

After all, he'd already gotten a taste of both Ryoko and Ayeka's worlds...

Also, he pointed out that he didn't wish to draw too much attention and it might be best not to walk into the Galaxy Police headquarters with first princess Ayeka and the **EX**-Most wanted space pirate Ryoko, two very well known faces...

So as a compromise, Ayeka and Ryoko could go along on the _**Yukinojo**_, but they would be dropped off just outside the **GP**s scanner range in Ryo-Ohki...

After Mihoshi was through, they would be rejoining them on the _**Yukinojo**_ for the return trip...

The Marshall couldn't wait until his next visit, when Tenchi might showed up with all three wives...

Every one looked at the Marshal as he began to chuckle...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 09... Return...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The south seas... ) **

The small island had been formed hundreds of thousands of years before when a crack appeared in the ocean floor, this allowed the magma, the hot molten rock beneath, to escape into the cooler water above...

As it mixed with the water, it began to harden and become solid again...

Due to the heat below the surface and the pressures behind it, a simi-steady flow of new material began to cover the ocean floor around the crack, slowly creeping outward...

Slowly over the millenniums, layers upon layers covered the area surrounding the crack on the ocean floor...

In time, the water had cooled the magma enough form a seal over the crack in the ocean floor...

But like most things in life, it was only temporarily...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As time pasted, years, decades, centuries, the pressure below built up, breaking the seal...

And this time the magma escaped at a much higher rate, thus it created more than just a mound on the ocean floor...

This time it reached all the way to the surface of the ocean shooting rock and ash high into the sky above...

This material settled into the ocean, around the new formed volcanic island...

With all it's pressure released, once again the out flowing magma began to cool and harden...

As the magma hardened, the crack was once again sealed, allowing the pressure to slowly build again as the volcano slept...

But some thing else was also sleeping, some thing which was also effected by the heat beneath the surface...

Some thing that had been there, sleeping, long before the crack appeared...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The Present... )**

In a lab at the Earthquake Research Institute on the University of Tokyo campus, one of the research associates happen to note movement on a device observing what had been a quiet, if not 'dead', area of the pacific...

As one of their functions was to observe anything unusual and report it...

And so they did...

Soon, an associate professor was also studying the short readout, that until a short time before had been nothing but a flat line...

At one time, they would have been reading off of a sheet of paper or a long roll of paper...

However, with electrical systems being used to store any new data, he was studying a screen that had a good number of straight lines across the top half...

But his eyes were on the few small odd spikes on the newer lower lines...

He turned to the younger research associate...

" **Did you run a system check?... **"

" **First thing...** "

The **AP** looked at the readout...

He couldn't recall ever getting such steady spikes before...

It might be nothing, but with some rather unusual events lately it was better to be sure...

" **Run another check any way... Also you had better double check for any possible crossovers or static reception... **"

Both unlikely, but best to be sure...

" **Guess I'll have to pass this along... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

(** Washu's Lab... **)

A light on the wall began to blink, attracting the attention of a red-head in a lab coat, Washu...

She'd been working on a number of things, but nothing really important...

After debating for several micro-seconds if to check it or not, she finally turned and waved her hand...

Her floating keyboard appeared and she began to type...

Grafts and other data flowed up her screen at a rate only she could read...

As she studied the data being input, one of her eyebrows rose...

_**This was Interesting!...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

She had her Lab system maintain a 24-hr watch for any thing unusual, any where on the planet or in the surrounding space, no matter how small...

This had, of course, produced tons and tons of raw data, but as it was **HER** super system, it was able to handled it with ease...

It seem that one of the local institute had detected a seismic anomaly out in the ocean...

It wasn't the anomaly or it's location that had her attention...

In this part of the world tremors were very common...

However, what was so interesting was that they usually didn't have a regular beat to them...

Her other eyebrow went up...

Not only that, but they seem to be getting stronger at a steady .0000641% rate...

Something only **HER **instruments could detect...

She couldn't help smiling...

Here was something for her to look into...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

( **The ocean floor... **)

Several hundred meters beneath the ocean floor, some thing was waking...

For countless millennium it had slept, conserving it's energy and waiting...

Long ago, the crack in the ocean floor had awaken it for a while, the heat from the magma and volcano had renewed it's energy and it had built up it power...

Even so it had taken a long time...

When it was ready, it had studied it surrounding and come to a decision...

That it wasn't time yet...

It couldn't sense that which it was waiting for...

With that, it had storied up as much energy as it could and gone back into hibernation, a very deep sleep, to conserve that energy and wait, until next time...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Time pasted, the world slowly turned and even the ground it's self shifted...

Recent tremors in the area had loosened the material that surrounded it, causing cracks...

These small cracks allowed ocean water, heated by the nearby volcano, to make contact with it...

It hadn't been a lot, but it was a slow, steady flow, which once again allowing it to energize...

And very slowly it had once again become aware of it surroundings...

This time it sensed that it wasn't alone any more on this small, out-of-the-way world...

While it had slept, this world had developed life and there was a great deal of it...

But, this did not conform to that which it had been waiting so long for...

It would continue to wait, wait and get even stronger...

When it was strong enough, it would have to make another decision...

Whether to fully awaken or to return to it's quiet guardian sleep!...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Some where... )**

A female with long, light blue hair smiled...

It had been so long that she had almost forgotten about it...

She giggled...

_**How could a goddess possible forget?...**_

Over to the side, Tokimi said nothing, just watched her sister, Tsunami...

It had also gotten big sister Washu's attention, but that was to be expected of the oldest of the three Chousin Goddesses...

Of late, she had even been putting her own research projects on hold, as she now concentrated on **HER **new family...

A family that had come to her attention because of a young boy named Tenchi Masaki...

And then there were those around him...

Like the three females who would gladly give their lives to protect his...

His_** 'beloved Wives' **_that he had already risked **HIS** life to protect...

**. . . . . . . . .**

And Washu had good reason to be concerned, for being the crown prince of the Juraian Empire created enemies, those who wishes him dead...

Those who wished to do harm for reasons only they knew...

But in her long life, Washu did know that there were other things...

Many things, out there in the vast universe, that could and would harm them, if given a chance...

Things with and without minds to control their actions...

Things with vast power and great destructive abilities...

Things that should be only lurking in the darkness of our nightmares...

Oh, yes, she knew them quite well, for hadn't she created many of them?...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	10. Chapter 10

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Author's note... )**

This takes place in an alternate Dimension and is not a rewriting of known history in our Dimension, so please enjoy...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 10... The crown...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( 22nd August 1485, Central England... ) **

A thin male with long dark hair was leaning against a tall English Oak, his eyes closed...

Another male, in a long robe stood knelt next to him, carefully examining the wound in the others side...

The cut was deep and had caused much bleeding, even with pressure it still allowed precious blood to escape...

Even so, that was not the wound that was slowly draining life from his friend, that was a smaller hole in his lower back...

At the one small spot, just wide enough to let a long thin dagger through his his protective armor...

A weakness known to few and only too his closest acquaintances...

And it had been some one that he had considered a friend and allies who had gotten behind him in the battle and thrust the dagger into his back...

The older male shook his head, too much damage had been done to the younger male's insides...

He was bleeding too much within, it was only a matter of time...

It was a shame...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Slowly the younger male began to open his eyes and take in his surrounding...

He tried to move, but the only response he got was sharp jabbing pain...

He didn't even have the energy to scream...

He did feel the hand on his shoulder, steadying him...

His eyes were able to see the hand and the ring on it's middle finger...

There was only one ring in all of England that looked like that...

And it's owner was one of the very few people he truly trusted...

He slumped back against the oak...

He was safe for the moment...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( A good distance away... )**

On a slight mound, a number of males in metal armor had gathered...

Another male, without armor, rushes up...

" **MY LORD!... We've found him!... **"

The male in the middle of the group stepped forward, removing his helmet to reveal short black hair...

Reaching the new comer he spoke in a low voice...

" **Are you sure?... **"

The male considered his reply...

" **His garb is as described and several swear he was the one leading the attack on your person...** "

Glancing around he pulled out two objects, one large, one small...

A large band of metal and a small ring...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Back at the tree... )**

As the younger man looked up, he noticed a movement behind his friend...

An enemy soldier stepped from the nearby brush and saw them...

Quickly he lifted a large ax over his head and charged them, smiling...

But before the younger male could say any thing, his friend had removed something from his waist and thrust it into their attackers stomach, stopping his forward movement...

A surprised look on his face, the attacker dropped his ax and looked down at the object that had been thrust into his belly...

The look changed to one of amazement as he fell backwards to the ground without uttering a sound...

The young male smiled as he saw the odd object in his friend's hand...

It had been a while, but it was nice to know that he had really seem it before...

Especially the foot long blade made of what looked like it was made of light...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The mound... )**

Taking the ring and metal loop, the armored male smiled and spoke softly to the other...

" **Take some trusted men, wrap the body in cloth and remove it from the field... **"

He took a moment to consider a few things...

" **Take it to my tent and don't let it out of your sight... If any thing happens to it, YOUR life will be forfeit... You understand?...** "

Seeing the lord's eyes, the male just nodded his head...

" **Tell, NO one!...** "

With a nod of his head the Lord turned back to the others on the mound, smiling...

The soldier stood for just a moment before leaving, now wishing he hadn't been the one chosen to bring the news...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The tree... )**

The younger male twitched as his friend examined the wound in his side...

In their short time together, he could never read his unusual friend's expressions, until now...

" **That Bad?... **"

He smiled as the others eye went up and he sighed...

"** I regret so... **"

The young male sighed...

" **At-least my nephews will survive...** "

Smiling, his friend nodded his head...

" **Sending them north was the best solution... After the attempt on their lives by Henry's assassins... If you and James had not been secretly visiting them, they would have been dead...** "

The younger male nodded his head...

"** Edward realized at once that it had to be done... He has a fine head on his shoulders and I intend to keep it there... However, Richard is still very young... He seems to take after the uncle he was named after... **"

This caused the older male to smile...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The mound... )**

Rejoining the others, the dark haired male held up the ring and metal band...

" **His body has been found... **"

After a moment or two, his comrade began to go down on one knee...

Only one other remained standing and he held up his sword and shouted loudly..

" **THE KING IS DEAD!... LONG LIVE KING HENRY!...** "

Others on the field below began to look at the mound and then take up the chant...

" **THE KING IS DEAD!... LONG LIVE KING HENRY!...** "

" **THE KING IS DEAD!... LONG LIVE KING HENRY!...** "

" **THE KING IS DEAD!... LONG LIVE KING HENRY!...** "

Smiling, the man who had once known as Henry Tudor, the 2nd Earl of Buckingham, head of the house of Tudor, now became Henry the 7th, King of England and Lord of Ireland...

All with the placing of the king's circlet, taken from Richard's body, on his head...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( At the tree... )**

The two could hear the noise and soon could even make out the words...

The younger male, Richard Plantagenet of the house of York, also known as Richard the 3rd, smiled...

" **They seem to be celebrating a bit too soon, don't you think?... **"

His friend, a visitor from far away smiled back...

Yosho Masaki, better know as Katsuhito Masaki, knew that it wouldn't be too long before it was true...

After a moment Richard continued...

" **I guess they discovered young William's body... After Baron Stanley's servant stabbed me in the back, allowing William to dress as me was the only way to keep the army together... And his charge directly at Tudor himself would have succeeded if Stanley and the others hadn't changed sides at that moment...** "

Katsuhito nodded his head...

He had give his friend something for the pain, but the damage caused by the servant's dagger, to his body, was too serious...

There was no medicine on this world that could help and any possible off world help would be too late...

Katsuhito was going to have to watch another person he'd come to know, die...

It didn't get any easier...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The dying king managed a smile...

" **I was so sure that getting Edward and Richard declared Bastards would protect them, but Tudor decided to use them against me any way... Edward understood when I explained it to him... Unlike his brother, he'd seen the kind of things that went on in court... There was no way a 13 year old could survive what had cost my brother his life... His only chance was to trust in his uncle... **"

Katsuhito nodded his head...

Richard continued...

" **Make sure they don't get my body... You know who to take it to, if you can... **"

He coughed...

" **Also the letters I wrote... If you can deliver them!... **"

He coughed again, leaning back against the tree...

" **If Tutor keeps his word and marries my niece Elizabeth, this War of the Roses will be ended at last... And there will be peace...** "

Katsuhito decided not to tell him that, although Tudor would wed Elizabeth, few males of the house of York would survive and conflict would continue...

But he did have one last bit of good news...

" **Though it disappears for now... The house of Plantagenet will one day return... **"

With that, the last monarch to die in battle in England proper closed his eyes and died with a smile...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

( Today, Prefecture of Okayama, Japan... )

Katsuhito was in his office, the monthly paperwork was done and he wasn't inspired to write any poems...

Picking up the small Ipod Washu had recently given him, he scrolled through a number of items until he came to a site dealing with Leicestershire England...

It gave an update on the search for Grayfriars church and the remains of infamous Richard the 3rd, a one time monarch of England...

Katsuhito smiled, it was a long shot if the found the remains, the problem would be that they wouldn't be those of the fallen king...

In the final battle, a look alike had stood in for the wounded King, after he was stabbed in the back...

It had been the final chance to save the day, it had failed...

Katsuhito had secretly buried Richard's body in a secluded portion of St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, near his older brother Edward, who had been monarch before him...

It had been his final wish as he lay dying on Bosworth Field so long ago...

After a while Katsuhito decided to consult Washu, perhaps they could find some way of returning the young king to his people...

He chuckled, things were looking up...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	11. Chapter 11

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 11... Nobie's Tale...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Middle of no-where, the pitch dark... ) **

As Tenchi looked around, he could see very little...

They were in the middle of a vast area that seem to be very, very flat...

It also seem to be made up of dirt or sand...

What little moonlight there was allowed him to see mountain ranges in the distant and very little else...

he felt some one tap him on the shoulder and turned to see Washu, smiling at him and offering him a pair of glasses, just like the pair she was wearing...

Some how he wasn't surprised, when he put them on and could see a lot better...

Washu was helping his father with the boxes and other things that Ryo-Ohki had beamed down, before landing and taking her usual spot on Washu's shoulder...

She was tired from bringing the party half way round the world to the North American continent...

To a secluded desert area in the northern portion of the American State of Nevada...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It hadn't been the "flight" that had tired her out, it had been all the excitement of an unusual adventure...

Around this time of year, Nobuyuki Masaki, Tenchi's father, would pack a small bag and take off for a week or so, the only thing close to a vacation that he took each year...

Most of his life, Tenchi could remember his father going, except for the year his mother died...

When he'd asked his father about it, he had always gotten the same answer...

" **When you're older...** "

Well...

He was now older, with three wives and a baby daughter...

This year, with every thing going on, he hadn't been able to make travel arrangement ahead of time...

So Nobuyuki had asked Washu and his daughter-in-law, Ryoko, if Ryo-Ohki could take him some where...

And since she had to pilot Ryo-Ohki, Nobuyuki had invited Washu along...

As it was, one thing led to another, until the group consisted of not only the three of them, but Tenchi, Ayeka, Mihoshi and Ryoko...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As normally happens, with extra people and little time to plan, Washu took over and organized every thing...

When Nobuyuki whispered their destination in Washu's ear, her face lite up and Tenchi began to have second thoughts...

After some discussing, Sasami, Nagi and the Kiyones decided to remain back at the Masaki house, for one reason or another...

The Kiyones, having to work and Ayeka deciding that where ever it was that Nobuyuki was going, chances were that Sasami was too young to go there...

Nagi opted to remain with Sasami, even though the Kiyones had offered to watch Sasami for her while she was gone...

Some thing told her that with every one else gone, the house was the best place to be...

Maybe next time...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The present... )**

There wasn't a lot of baggage, for five females and two males, but the three boxes looked heavy, which worried Tenchi...

It was the way their legs tended to sink several inches into the ground...

" **Don't worry... They have anti-grav units from moving them...** "

He turned to find Washu a few feet away, smiling...

At very close range Washu was able to detect his emotions, to a degree...

Behind her was a pipe framed vehicle that Washu had thrown together, they had landed several miles from the camp to avoid any undo questions...

After Washu pressed some buttons on the boxes, Ryoko was able to lift them into the back of the vehicle...

Nobuyuki and Washu got into the front seats, the only seats and Ryo-Ohki curled up in Washu's lap...

The rest selected a bicycle and the small group set off towards the distant fires...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( A while later... )**

The night air had been dry, but a breeze had kept them company...

The 'car' had moved at a slow steady pace, remaining just ahead of the others...

Tenchi was happy to be behind, with all the giggling and laughing coming from it, he wasn't sure he wanted to get too close, knowing those two...

While Mihoshi was having no problems with her bike, but Ayeka needed a little help, not having much experience with the two wheeled device...

As for Ryoko, Tenchi was sure she was floating rather than peddling...

Not that it really mattered...

The lights were still a ways off, but Tenchi noted that the 'car' had stopped ahead and he could hear laughter...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As they got closer, Tenchi was able to make out some one or some thing on his father's side of the 'car'...

Getting closer, the glasses allowed him to see a human male, sitting crossed leg on what appeared to be a rather large beanbag...

It had been easy to tell it was a male, since he didn't have any clothes on...

The wide brimmed hat on his head seem to be a sombrero, popular in the country further to the south...

From the way he was talking to Tenchi's father, the two knew each other...

As he approached, the male turned and looked in Tenchi's direction...

" **Would this be young Tenchi you mentioned earlier, Nobie?...** "

He heard his father chuckle, some thing he'd picked up from Washu...

" **Unless there's some others out this way, it would have to be... **"

He could hear Washu chuckle too...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As he got within a few feet the male chuckled too...

" **I see he got Kiyone's good looks... Bet he got YOUR sence of humor!... **"

This got even more chuckling from the 'car'...

Tenchi noticed the male looking past him...

" **And who would these three charming young ladies be?...** "

Before Tenchi could reply, his father answered...

" **Would you believe that they're all my daughter-in-laws?...** "

The male threw back his head and roared with laughter, nearly falling off the beanbag...

It took a while but he managed to calm himself...

" **I wouldn't doubt it for a moment, it being your son, Nobie...** "

He then turned to Tenchi...

" **It seems you have you're father's way with the fairer sex... He couldn't have done better than you mom...** "

Tenchi now had a **LONG** list of questions for his father when they got back...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The male turned back to his father...

" **This would explain why you weren't around last year... So!...You going to be in your usual spot?... Up front for a good view?...** "

He heard his father chuckle...

" **Been paid up since the first of the year... Let one of the guys use it... Think he was hoping I couldn't make it again this year, so he could use it... Drop by when you come in with the sun?...** "

The male smiled and nodded his head...

He then crossed his arms and closed his eyes...

With that the 'car' started up with Tenchi along side...

Holding onto the 'car' for movement Tenchi turned to his father...

" **An old friend of yours and moms?... **"

His father chuckled...

" **Would you believe that the other 360 days of the year, he's the CEO of a major company back East and very, very rich?... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Tenchi almost lost his grip at that, but his father caught his hand...

" **Once a year he's able to get away from it all and spend some time out here... **"

This caught Tenchi's attention...

" **And exactly where ARE we?... **"

He heard both Washu **AND** his father chuckle...

" **You'll see... It's a surprise!...** "

As the lights weren't too far off, Tenchi just sighed...

Looking around, he discovered that Ayeka and Mihoshi had followed his lead and were holding onto the 'car'...

Ryoko had taken a different way entirely...

She was still sitting on her bike, however, she was now floating along, upside down, next to Tenchi, her head next to his...

She didn't say a word, she just gave him a peck on the cheek...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

(** Much Later... **)

Tenchi was standing outside the small 12x12 tent Washu had set up in the space reserved for his father...

The sun was now up and so were others from within the huge encampment...

It had been late when they arrived at this spot, the area taped off and a pole at the corner with his father's name on it...

Without even looking around, Washu had pulled a large package from one of the heavy boxes and set it in the space...

Pulling a cord, she'd moved outside the marked area and watched, with the others, as it started to expand, until it was a full 12 x 12 foot tent, about 8 to 10 feet tall...

As it expanded, a large number of people passed by and some even stopped to watch...

When the little flag popped out on top, proclaiming '**Washu-World**', those watching began to clap and then proceed on their way...

Entering they found themselves in an exact copy of the house back in Japan, except for Sasami...

The girls had dragged him off to bed and sleep, they were all out as their heads hit the pillows...

Washu and Nobuyuki stayed up...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Being the first to awake, Tenchi managed to get out of bed without awaking the others, a skill he'd learned in recent months...

Getting something to drink and snack on, he'd stepped out onto the dock, only to find it wasn't there...

What was there was an open area, with the tent city forming a half moon around it...

In the center was a large platform with a figure on top, all built of wood...

It was then that he began to note his surrounding or to be more precise, the people...

It was a mad house of not only styles, but colors...

Although there was your ordinary styles one might see on any beach, there was a good percent that Tenchi didn't expect to see outside the TV set...

Tenchi saw a number of people, males as well as females, wearing nothing but large colored scarfs...

The were even people wearing body suits, of the most outrageous colors and patterns...

And there was every color of the rainbow...

Then there were those wearing very little or nothing at all, but a smile...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It was about then that his father had joined him, with his morning cup of coffee...

" **Quite a sight wouldn't you say?...** "

A passing female, wearing a painted on two piece suit, saw Nobuyuki and waved before moving on...

Concentrating on his coffee, he took a deep breath...

" **Welcome to Burning Man, a celebration of life and living...** "

Seeing that he had Tenchi's attention, he continued...

**" Your mother and I heard about it when it was just starting and came to see what it was all about...** "

He took a sip...

" **We liked what we saw and continued to return as often as possible... You were only a few months old when we first brought you here... After your mom -... **"

He paused...

" **Your grandfather thought it best for me to leave you with him when I came alone...** "

He was quiet for a while...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **That's the 'Burning Man' out there... On the last night, it will be set aflame... I've never been really sure of the reason, so many people have their own ideas...** "

Sipping, he nodded his head...

" **As you can see, this is one very big street fair... With all kinds of acts and performers... There are even works of art... which usually gets burned at some time...** "

A voice startled them...

" **Did he happen to tell you that many of the most popular buildings built and then burnt were designed by your father?...** "

The two turned to find Washu, in her adult form smiling at them...

" **Your father is quite famous and well known here...** "

Sipping some tea Washu watched the people passing by...

" **You know?... I've been to countless worlds out there that weren't half as interesting as yours...** "

She couldn't help chuckling...

" **And they call YOUR world 'Back-water' and 'primitive'...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Days later... The Masaki House... )**

It was Ken-Ohki who let the other know of the returning travelers...

Nagi was helping Sasami in the kitchen when she got word from Ken-Ohki...

Smiling, she turned to Sasami...

"** Our way ward members are back... **"

To which they both proceeded to the front door and out onto the dock...

They discovered Tenchi's grandfather and daughter already there...

" **Did Ken-Ohki inform you too?** "

The Great-grandfather smile and shook his head...

" **No, a sleeping young lady awoke suddenly in the middle of her nap and began to smile and clap her hands... **"

With a smile Sasmi accepted little Mayuka...

All eyes turned to the Eastern sky...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

( **Shortly... **)

Ryo-Ohki suddenly appeared above the lake as she turned off her shield and became visible again...

Shortly there after, a group of figures appeared on the dock...

Sasami was puzzled why Ayeka was wearing a hood, until Ryoko reached over and pulled it back...

Ayeka's face was now the color of her hair...

She also noted that Mihoshi was wearing a tiny two-piece pink swimsuit under the large yellow scarf she had wrapped around her...

Washu was trying not to look at Ayeka and laugh, she was failing...

When Ayeka stared at her for a while, before she was able to talk...

" **If you'll go to my Lab, we''ll take care of that...** "

Nagi couldn't help making a comment...

" **You look good in purple!... **"

At which time Ayeka stared daggers back at her and opened her kimono to reveal that her entire body was now one color...

Closing her kimono, she stomped into the house and headed towards Washu's lab...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Nagi took Ryoko aside and whispered...

"** I can't wait to hear the details... **"

Taking Nagi's hand Ryoko blew Tenchi a kiss before she and Nagi disappeared...

Sasami looked at Tenchi, then his father and then Washu, none offered a comment...

Tenchi finally spoke up...

" **When Washu has her back to normal, ask her... But she may not want to talk about it...** "

Washu smiled...

" **In that case come to me... I'll even have illustrations...** "

With that she burst out laughing and headed inside, followed by Nobuyuki...

Tenchi's grandfather headed back up to the shrine...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Giving Tenchi a hug and kiss, Mihoshi set off in search of the Kiyones...

_**Boy, did she have a story to tell**_ ...

Sasami passed a wide awake Mayuka to her father and stood there, tapping her foot...

Adjusting his daughter in his arms, Tenchi just sighed...

Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the house, Sasami walking beside him...

" **It all started in a dark desert, far away...** "

He thought for a moment before continuing...

" **It was there that we met a male, sitting on a beanbag, wearing nothing at all...** "

Sasami couldn't help smiling...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Note:** 'Burning man' does exist, just check on line... See for yourself... Another world unto its self...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	12. Chapter 12

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclamer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All origional charactors and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 12... Encounter...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( London, 1930s... ) **

The figure on the ground stared up at the stars in the night sky...

_**Home!...**_

Making a slight movement sent a surge of pain through her body...

It seem that she had pushed her luck just a bit too far this time, there was a good chance she wasn't going to make it this time...

Her wound was too serious this time...

Even with her body's healing abilities, the gash is her side was too large for it to handle and she was losing too much blood, too fast...

All her first-aid supplies, along with every thing else that might give her away, had been left behind...

Any thing that might indicate that she wasn't of this world, including her control unit was back aboard her ship, high in orbit with a special screen protecting it from being detected...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It wasn't the local populous that she was worried about, it was off-worlders, aliens, like herself that she needed to beware of...

Especially the one she'd been sent here to locate...

This world, out on the edges of 'civilized' space, was still young and still developing...

Being in a rather isolated portion of space, after it's rediscovery a number of centuries ago by unit's of the Empire of Jurai's vast Space Fleet, it was designated as a lost colony world and access restricted...

To the vast Galaxy, it was noted on star charts as '**Jurai colony 0315- RED**', the "**RED**" indicating that any attempt to go to this world or to contact members of the populous, without permission of the Juraian government, could be fatal...

In simple terms, any intruders intercepted by Juraian forces could expect to be shot, no questions asked...

Every one knew how trigger happy those Juraians were...

However, since the **0315 **was outside the normal borders of the Juraian Empire, it fell under the jurisdiction of an organization known as the **Galaxy Police**...

For even in the vastness of space there were a set of rules...

**SO** , whether giving out speeding tickets or arresting thieves and murders, the officers of the **GP** policed the areas between Civilized worlds just as a regular officers did on the planet's surface...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( NOW... )**

Suddenly the stars were gone and the officer blink, they'd just been there...

As she focused her eyes she realized that something was blocking them...

Some thing or some one was leaning over her...

" **Are you OK?...** "

The voice was young, female...

A small hand touched her face...

" **Can you hear me?...** "

The officer couldn't help smiling, don't answer and bleed to death or make contact with an inhabitant of this planet and risk bring arrested, even shot, for making contact...

She giggled slightly...

" **Good... You're alive...** "

She sighed, it seem that deciding had been taken out of his hands...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Later... )**

The experience Galaxy Police officer was depressed, saved by a young girl, using some thing not even associated with first-aid, small metal devices called "safety pins"...

Using the small objects, the young girl had managed to close the gash in her side, long enough for her own system to start repairing the damage...

The pins hurt, but she would live, unless she died of embarrassment when she reported back...

Then there was also the problem of unauthorized contact...

In the end she might wish she had died...

As it was, she still had a mission to complete...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

She'd been in the area, searching for something very important to her, when the Grand Marshall contacted her...

Word had gotten to him about a wanted assassin, who was headed towards this world...

Being a low class sector, the local officer was a rookie, not up to handling a trained assassin...

Also there was the matter of being on a restricted world without permission...

In the past, her family contacts had helped, however this was **NOT **one of those times...

**THIS** was a Restricted world, under the direct control of the Juraian Empire, which had a Royal family that didn't take unauthorized visitors lightly...

Not to mention the fact that **HER **family wasn't on even talking terms with the Juraian Royal Family, much less friendly terms...

Galaxy Police Officer Airi Magma's family was the Royal family of Jurai's major rival, the Airaians...

Getting caught wasn't an option...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The young female had led her through the back streets as if she been born on them...

They now entered a small tavern on a back street...

None of the customers paid them any mind, but an older man came over and started to say something, but then sighed and shook his head...

Leading the way, he turned and made his way to the far corner of the tavern...

Once the two female were seated he looked around and leaned close to younger one, speaking softly...

" **Your highness... What are you doing out at this hour?... **"

The young female smiled before replying...

" **It's OK, John... I have this officer as an escort tonight...** "

Shaking his head the elderly male walked off...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As the male left, Airi looked at her saver...

" **How did you know that I was a law officer?... **"

She'd tried her best to not reveal any thing...

The young girl smiled as she replied...

" **I've spent my entire life surrounded by security officers... It's not difficult recognizing an officer...** "

There was some thing else, she tilted her head...

" **Highness?... **"

Sighing, the young girl smiled and looked around before replying...

" **I wish John hadn't mentioned that...** "

She leaned closer before continuing...

" **Recently my grandfather, the King, died... My uncle, being the oldest son, became King...** "

She smiled...

" **However, he couldn't be King AND have the one he loved... **"

A sad look came to her eyes...

" **So, he abdicated and my father, the second son, ascended to the throne... **"

Airi smiled, she had similar experiences growing up herself...

However, the key to completing her mission had just fallen into her lap...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

She had located the assassin easily enough and even managed to get close enough to over hearing his plans...

It seem that some off-world investors had some plans of their own for this world...

If a good number of high ranking leaders were to die within a short time, it would throw the world into chaos and allow a power hungry madman a chance at taking over the world...

Worlds with one government **COULD** be contacted...

Allowing those 'in-the-know' a chance to make a very large profit...

As they were studying the people on the hit-list, she was discovered and injured while trying to escape...

Any one else would have been long dead, but thanks to her enhanced body, she managed to survive...

With a little help...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It seem that the name at the top of that list was the new king of this small island, George the Sixth, the young girl's father...

Airi knew that she would want to know if it was **HER** father...

So she made a decision, on that would effect the future...

She told the young princess about the assassin and his mission...

She even included the facts that he and she weren't of this world, which meant that the assassin had access to weapons that this worlds security could not defend against...

In other-words, the two of them were her father's only hope...

And so the two females spent time whispering, their heads together...

After a good deal of discussion, the two females were smiling...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( some time later... )**

There was a knock on the door of a secluded house...

The male answering the door opened it just enough to see a small girl standing there...

Seeing no one else, he opened the door more...

" **Yes?.. **"

The small girl held up a package and smiled...

" **Sir!... I was asked to bring this to this address...** "

Looking around the male saw no one, his scanner indicated that there was no one within a good distance...

Not wanting to draw attention, he took the package...

The girl smiled, turned and walked away without a word...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Shortly there after, he was scanning the small package, not opening it...

The scanner indicated the contents, some kind of powder, was harmless...

Opening the package, he removed the bag of powder, wrapped in some newspaper that was in a strange language...

There was also a book and papers in the bottom, also in the strange language...

It was all very strange, he would have to speed up his time table...

There had been the intruder earlier, who was seriously injured, even if they did get away...

Then there was this unexpected delivery, from who?...

He would check into it in the morning...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The palace gate... Later... )**

As the two females approached the gate they saw a tall, clean shaven male standing there, his arms crossed...

Sighing the young girl stepped ahead, head bowed slightly, the male said nothing, he just sighed...

Airi couldn't help smiling, she'd seen that same smile on her own father's face countless times over the centuries...

As the princess disappeared within the palace, her father looked at Airi and nodded his head...

_**Thank you...**_

Coming to attention Airi bowed her head, as was expected when in the presents of royalty...

As she had seen in her own father's court countless times...

With a smile, King George the sixth, the King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth nodded his head and smiled...

Turning, he followed his daughter...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Later... )**

As the princess passed several of the palace security officers, she over heard them talking to her father...

" **- the man had no identification, but we uncovered a copy of Mein Kampf, a Berlin newspaper as well as a good number of documents in German... Also, rather than be captured he committed suicide... Every thing points to his being a German agent... The only strange thing was the package of sugar, found with the papers... We're having a lab test it now... "**

Her father shook his head...

" **Good work... So, the tip called into Scotland Yard bore fruit!... **"

The princess had to smile, her information had helped and the assassin was no more...

Officer Airi had promised to contact her when she had news about the off-world part of the plot...

It seem that she had to contact some one called the Grand Marshall and report in...

She hope to have good news...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( A GP ship in orbit... )**

Having finished her report, officer Airi waited as the Grand Marshall considered the report...

The standard procedure was to erase the past 48 hours from the subject's memory, but officer Airi had suggested making her an observer instead...

Under the circumstances and because of her help on the case, he was seriously considering it...

The Grand Marshall turned back to Airi, smiled and nodded his head...

The only restriction would be that contact would be audio only and with an old system no longer used...

As the Marshall signed off, Airi began to wonder where she would get such an old system...

It was then that her on-board systems contacted her...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **Officer Airi, I've been trying to contact you... **"

" **Yes?... **"

" **The detailed sensor scan of the planet below has discovered more than the assassin... It has also picked up Juraian energy on the far side of the planet...** "

It now had her **FULL** attention...

" **Juraian energy?... WHERE?... **"

The screen showed the world below and then began to descend closer and closer to the surface, until it was above another island...

It hovered above a section of the island and began to descend again, until it hovered above a lake with a shrine on a hill over looking it...

At one end of the lake was a tree, on a small island, Airi's eye's widened and one word escaped her lips...

" **FUNAHO?...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Unseen by officer Airi, a figure stood in a far corner, watching...

_**All is as it should be, my sisters...**_

Smiling, she began to fade until she was completely gone...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	13. Chapter 13

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 13... Reunion...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Late 1930s... ) **

In a manor house on the out skirts of Tokyo, two men meet in a large room...

Sitting at a small table, nether has spoken since they sat down, only taken sips of warm sake from small cups that they then refill...

By appearances, both appeared to be mature males, some where in their 50s, both quite calm and with no worries in the world...

Put both carried great responsibilities and both had countless worries...

One wore the white summer uniform of the Japanese Imperial Navy, while the other wore robes that indicated that he was a priest of the Shinto faith...

Thou both men strove for peace, both were experienced warriors...

Friends for many years, they tended to share similar opinions about things, opinions that others did not...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The naval officer, Isoroku Yamamoto, was not only a Lieutenant-General ( a Vice Admiral in other navies ), but he was also a Deputy Navy Minister at the Navy Ministry...

He was also well known and respected not only within his own military circles, but in other countries as well...

He had not been afraid to speak his mind and had voiced his personal objections to the invasion of Manchuria some years before, as well as to the recent land war with China...

This had drawn hate mail and death threats from Japanese Nationalists and others...

A recent hint of breeze had suggested that a reassignment might be in his future...

His boss, Navy Minister Mitsumasa Yonai, might get him appointed Commander-in-chief of the Imperial Combined Fleet, in an attempt to make it at least harder for assassins to target him...

But, whether on the land or on the sea, the Admiral is determined to serve his country and his Emperor...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

His drinking companion, on the other hand, had worries of his own...

Katsuhito Masaki, as a priest, should have few or at least fewer worries than other Japanese males...

But this was not true...

For not only had he not been born on this island, he hadn't even been born on this world...

He had been born on a world so far away that even the most powerful telescope of the day couldn't detect the light of it's sun...

There he was know as Yosho and had been a member of the ruling family, in fact, he was next in line to rule...

But to some of the people, his not being of '**PURE** Royal blood' was just unacceptable...

And **THAT **would have led to civil war were **HE **to ascend to the throne, thus, he was now on this world and planned to remain here for the rest of his life, even if it was a rather long life span...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

While having a long life span had it's advantages, like watching this world develop...

But it also had it's disadvantages...

Over the centuries, he'd made many friends on this world, only to have to watch them grow old and then die while he remained behind...

There had even been females among them, but romance was out, after all, he was a married man, even if she was light years away...

Or so he thought...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Earlier, in orbit above the planet... )**

" **Officer Airi, I've been trying to contact you... **"

" **Yes?... **"

" **The detailed sensor scan of the planet below has discovered more than just the assassin... It has also picked up a Juraian energy on the far side of the planet...** "

The ship's **AI** now had her **FULL **attention...

" **Juraian energy?... WHERE?... **"

The screen showed the world below and then began to descend closer and closer to the surface, until it was above another island...

It hovered above a section of the island and began to descend again, until it hovered above a lake with a shrine on a hill over looking it...

At one end of the lake was a small island, with a very large tree on it...

Airi's eye's widened and one word escaped her lips...

" **FUNAHO?...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( At the Masaki shrine... )**

As Yosho was sitting at his desk, trying to write a new poem, a vision suddenly came to him...

In it a female with short green hair, wearing a strange uniform, appeared at the top of the stairs that led up to the shrine...

Startled, he closed his eyes and shook his head...

It was then that a loud female voice shook the air...

" **YOSHO - MASAKI - JURAI!... WHERE ARE YOU?...** "

There was only one person, with **THAT** hair color and **THAT** voice...

_**AIRI?...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Taking what **SEEM** like minutes, but what was in reality split seconds, he did what had become a habit with him, he pulled out and looked at his 'pocket watch'...

_**If I hurry, I can just catch the next train to Tokyo...**_

Getting up, he sighed and walked to the back wall of his office and a sliding door...

Opening it, he stepped through and into the woods behind the shrine...

As he walked down the small trail, he heard ripping and knew his office door was no longer on it's frame...

_**Such a shame, the door hadn't even been locked...**_

He heard crashing coming from his office...

_**On second thought, better it than me...**_

He began to move a little faster...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Back at the manor house... )**

" **Happy to be going back out to sea?...** "

Isoroku had been just starting to take a sip when Katsuhito broke the silence...

It wouldn't have been the first time Katsuhito would have made comments that startled him and made him spray his drink all over...

This time he managed to just smile...

" **Surely you didn't come all this way just to see me off?... **"

He watched as Katsuhito glanced to the west, back towards the shrine and sigh...

" **No... Some thing suddenly came up and I needed to get away from things for a while...** "

This had his attention, what could possibly have cause Katsuhito to want to be elsewhere?...

Katsuhito noted his friend's look...

There was no getting away from it...

" **Family!... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Isoroku's eye lid went up...

In all the time he'd know his friend, there was only **ONE **family member he had ever mentioned...

" **Airi?...** "

Katsuhito smiled and nodded his head...

She was his wife, in a land, that was far away, whom he hadn't seen in a very long time...

He just hadn't gone into just how **FAR** away ( light years away ) or just how **LONG **ago ( many centuries ) it had been...

" **So... Perhaps you were hoping I might take you along when I joined the fleet?...** "

He couldn't help smiling as this time it was Katsuhito's eyebrow that went up...

He shook his head...

" **Taking you aboard as a sailor is out... You're way TOO old... **"

Katsuhito tilted his head slightly...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **Also too old to be an aide...** "

Katsuhito tilted his head the other way...

Isoroku manage to not laugh as he continued...

" **I have it... An elderly retired military officer, come to observe the turn over of command... **"

Katsuhito shook his head as he smiled...

" **While I appreciate your offer, I don't think that losing the fleet, just after taking command, would look good on your record... **"

Some thing in Katsuhito's smile was both serious and humorous...

Before he could reply there was a commotion out side the room...

" **YOSHO!...** "

Katsuhito smiled and sighed...

" **Too late...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Earlier, in space... )**

The ship's **AI **had been watching Galaxy Police officer Airi Magma pace the floor of the ship's tiny rec room for some time, ever since her return from the surface of the planet...

It had been waiting for a moment to make a report, when it might not get a violent reaction...

This seem to be the best time...

" **Officer Airi?... After detailed studies of all scanner reports for the past several hours, I believe I have relocated the target subject... **"

As Airi turned to the device hanging from the ceiling her mood didn't change...

" **WELL!... It's about time... It took you long enough!... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

A screen appeared on the cabin wall, showing an overhead view of a building complex...

With great care the image focused in on the large central building...

On the edge of the screen, data appeared...

Height, wind, temperature, air content, number of life forms present...

All the things one needed to know before approaching a target...

" **All indications are that the target subject is within this building at the moment and is not alone... The complex is located just outside of one of their largest settlements... What little data we have indicates a militaristic culture and should be approached with caution...** "

However, it was talking to an empty room...

And had been ever since " **- subject is within this building -** "...

_**Why do I even bother?...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Back at the manor house... )**

Katsuhito smiled and sighed...

As the door slid open, he whispered softly...

" **Could you have an ambulance standing by?...** "

Isoroku was surprised when a small, attractive female entered the room, he had expected a taller, stronger person...

Her form fitting uniform was interesting, as was the holstered side arm on her hip, but it was her short green hair that caught his attention...

Noting that Airi hadn't taken the time to exchange her Galaxy Police uniform for some thing a little less attention getting, Katsuhito smiled slightly...

He just might survive this after all and crossed his arms...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Upon seeing Yosho for the first time in almost 700 years, Airi was torn between running and throwing her arms around him and throwing something **AT** him...

It was a good thing she hadn't reported any thing to headquarters yet...

If she ended up killing him, it wouldn't do to let them know that she'd found him alive...

A voice she hadn't heard in a long time brought her back to reality...

" **Hello, Dear!...** "

As the stress began to subside, she noted that they weren't alone, there was another male in a white uniform standing to one side sipping something from a small cup...

From the cut of the uniform, **MILITARY** of some sort...

" **Nice to see you TOO!...** "

There was a pause...

" **DEAR!... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Eying his two guest, Isoroku couldn't help feeling as if he'd suddenly found himself in a rowboat between two Battleships that were about to face-off against each other...

" **Katsuhito... You haven't introduced me to your to your charming companion!...** "

Smiling, Katsuhito nodded his head...

" **Isoroku... I have the honor of presenting Airi Magma Masaki... My beloved wife...** "

Taking her hand, he lifted it, startling her and pressed his lips to it, some thing he'd picked up while serving in Europe...

A confused Airi looked at her hand, Yosho and then the unusual stranger...

" **Airi... I would like to introduce, Lieutenant-General Isoroku Yamamoto of his majesty's Imperial navy... At the moment serving as a Deputy Navy Minister at the Navy Ministry, but soon to be appointed Commander-in-chief of the Imperial Combined Fleet... **"

To Airi it meant little, but she'd heard longer titles in her father's court...

" **Pleased to meet you... Katsuhito has told us little about you... **"

Airi noted the use of the name Katsuhito, instead of Yosho...

" **Katsuhito tends to speak little about his family...** "

Yosho noted her smile as she continued...

" **They'd tended to be some thing of an embarrassment to him... **"

He sighed as he shook his head...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Later... )**

The three had carried on a pleasant conversation for a while before Airi mentioned that she had an appointment waiting...

Their host saw them to the front gate...

" **You join us in interesting times... **"

Airi smiled back and nodded...

Only Yosho caught the reference...

Supposedly from a Chinese curse...

**May you live in interesting times...**

To the Chinese, 'Interesting times' were times of much upheaval, usually times of War...

Yoshu preferred 'uninteresting times'...

He shook hands with his friend...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As they walked down the lane, Airi checked to see if any one was near in the dim evening light before pressing her recall button...

No one saw the two figures dissolve into beams of light...

The evening air was quiet...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The Masaki shrine... )**

When the two figures appeared in the shrine office, they weren't standing side-by-side any more...

Airi had her arms around Yosho's neck and her lips pressed to his...

Yosho was had his arms around her, holding her just as tightly...

It took a while before they came up for air...

As they drew in air, Yosho examined his office...

Besides the door, he would need a new desk as well...

Airi had managed to found some thing out side the window to study...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Later... Underground... )**

Airi looked down at the figure in the pool, the face covered by a scary mask...

Never in her entire life had she thought she would be this close to the infamous Space Pirate Ryoko, whom Yosho had chased from Jurai, never to be seen or hear of again...

" **So... THIS is why you never tried to contact any one... **"

Yosho stood beside her...

" **There were other reasons... As I told you, but this was the main one...** "

There had to be more to it than just that...

" **Some day... The future of Jurai and the Galaxy will depend on her!... **"

Airi looked at his face to see if he might be joking, he wasn't...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Airi didn't see the ghostly figure sitting on a rock off to one side of the cavern...

But Yosho did and he smiled and nodded at her, she turned her head and frowned...

He could see that Ryoko still wasn't happy about things, but she wasn't trying to throw things any more...

Her astro-form existed from her will power, but could not really touch or effect solid things around it...

As time passed, she would be able to move further away from her body, one day even as far as the cave entrance...

With luck that would mean it was time for her to return to the real world again...

The question would be, would the Galaxy be ready for her return?...

Taking Airi's hand, he carefully led her back, up to the entrance and the outer world...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Off to the side of the cavern, an attractive female, with two long bands of hair stood, quietly taking in all that was happening...

She watched as Airi and Yosho left the cavern together, hand-in-hand, after relocking the cast iron gate...

Reappearing in the cavern, she watched as Ryoko sighed and looked up at the cavern's ceiling, with it's patterns of stars...

Ryoko didn't know that they were the same as she would view from the cave's entrance and that was why they moved and changed so often...

She also saw Ryoko's sad face and the tear that ran down her cheek...

_**Soon little one, very, very soon!...**_

Ryoko didn't hear Tsunami's voice or see her smile as she faded away...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	14. Chapter 14

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 14... Babysitter...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Masaki house, in town... ) **

Nobuyuki Masaki was nervous as well as excited about the pending trip...

It was to celebrate his recent promotion and raise...

Not only would it be a long way from any family members, it would be the first time he and his wife, Kiyone, had had any time alone since the birth of their first born, Tenchi...

His eyes checked his bags were all pack, as were his wife's, waiting by the door to be put in the car...

And the timing was just right...

For this was the time of the year that he and Kiyone traveled almost halfway around the world to attend an unusual festival in the American desert...

A strange, wonderful event, called 'Burning Man'...

Years before, a friend had talked them into attending and they'd been returning every year since...

And since Tenchi's birth, several years before, they had even taken him along with them...

However, his father-in-law, Katsuhito, had suggested that they leave Tenchi home this year...

Sort of a second honeymoon...

They were just waiting for the new babysitter...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

And the only thing that could spoil it, would be if Tenchi and the sitter didn't hit it off...

It seem that out side of family members, many sitters felt strange when sitting him...

They said it was as if some thing or some one was there the whole time they were there...

An unseen presence that seem to be watching and observing...

And then there was the soft sound of giggling?...

Needless to say, many didn't do return sittings...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Nobuyuki just hoped that this new sitter could do the whole week, he didn't want to bother Kiyone's father again, as the rest of the family also had plans this week...

A knock on the door broke his train of thought and he got up...

A soft sweet voice floated in the air...

" **Would you get that dear?... I'm just getting Tenchi dressed... **"

The tall, dark haired male smiles...

A good job that he liked, a loving wife and a son to carry on his name, what more could he ask for?...

He walked to the door and opened it...

Standing there was a young female with light hair, holding a package in her arms...

For just a moment, as she tilted her head slightly, he thought she looked a lot like his wife, Kiyone...

But that was silly, he knew all of Kiyone's relatives, her mother and father...

_**It must have just been the light...**_

He invited her in and showed her the living room...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Before she sat, she handed him the package...

" **The post man asked if I would give this to you, he was running behind...** "

Nobuyuki smiled, being the start of the week, the mail usually was heavy and the post man was had a lot of deliveries along this street...

He thought of his father-in-laws place, well out side of town, the path to deliver mail there was for the younger post men...

A quick look at the address on the box said it could wait till he got back and didn't need his immediate attention...

Probably ideas for a new project the guys at work wanted his suggestions on, it could wait...

As he set it on the table, the love of his life and their son descended the stairs...

She always looked like an angel when she came down those stairs and he couldn't help smiling...

They'd have almost a whole week and he would have her all to himself...

He smiled at his son in her arms...

_**Sorry, Tenchi, but it's pappa's time to have all of your mother's attention...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Turning his attention back to the others, he watched as Kiyone handed Tenchi to the sitter...

The girl smiled and seem to be a bit nervous, she must have heard the stories about sitting Tenchi...

He was still small for his age, but Nobuyuki remembered being told that he had been small too, getting taller latter...

She sat down in the recliner, resting Tenchi in her lap, her arm under his head...

Both Nobuyuki and Kiyone smiled, if there was to be a reaction, it would have already accrued...

Shaking a fist and shouting **'YES! **', didn't seem the right thing to do...

As Nobuyuki took the bags to the car, Kiyone took a last look at Tenchi, asleep in his sitters lap...

As she was about to close the door, the sitter started to hum a quiet tune and Kiyone stopped...

For a moment, it sounded like the tune her mother use to hum to her when she was little...

Nobuyuki's voice caught her attention and shaking her head, she closed the door before joining him in the car...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As the girl heard the car drive off, she continued to hum the tune that her mother had hummed to her when she was little...

A movement at the kitchen door caught her attention and she smiled, continuing to hum...

A tall, light haired male stepped into the room, wearing the robes of a Shinto priest...

Looking at the two in the chair through his wire-rim glasses, he sighed...

" **SO!... It is you!...** "

The girl smiled, but said nothing...

" **Does your mother know where you are, young lady?... **"

A soft sweet voice floated out of the kitchen, followed by it's source...

" **Of course she does!... **"

A mature female, with white hair appeared at the kitchen door...

As the young girl giggled, the male shook his head...

" **It's nice of you to keep referring to me as 'young lady', but I am into my 60s... Grandfather...** "

Katsuhito Masaki sighed, he knew a losing thing when he saw it...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **Now Tennyo, you have to remember that until you're at-least into you second hundred years, you're still a youngster according to your grandparents... **"

Kiyone Masaki wasn't just referring to her 700 year old ( plus ) father and mother, but their parents, who were into their first or second 'Thousand' years...

Long life had it's pros and cons, it's good sides as well as it's bad...

Walking past her father, she stepped over to her daughter and held out her arms, a tear in her eye...

With a smile, Tennyo Masaki handed her little brother carefully to his mother...

It had been decades since she had last held her son in her arms, all do to a mad monster 's desire to have his own way...

The only ones tat even knew that she and her daughter existed at the moment were her father, a prince in hiding and the goddess Tsunami...

This might be the only time that she got to hold him...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Exchanging places with her daughter, Kiyone settled into the chair with her beloved first born...

Her attention was only brought back to the present by the sound of a familiar motor, a camera motor...

She looked up to see her father, pointing her husbands 8mm camera at them, recording this for the future, just as Nobuyuki had done countless times in the past ( or future )...

Nobuyuki had a large box of film and several cameras, ready to record things...

Some times, what seem like the silliest things...

She didn't even attempt to wipe away the tears that were forming, she was so happy...

When the time came, this film would be there to let Tenchi know that not even time it's self could keep her away from getting back to him...

Even if for just s short time...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Later... )**

Tennyo and her grandfather watched as mother and child slowly dancer around the living room to the tone she hummed...

Katsuhito smiles as he recalled her preforming the the same dance with a tiny Tennyo, decades before...

This too he recorded for a future time...

And as they danced, a smiling Tenchi reached up and touched his mother's face...

As the dance ended, Kiyone kissed him on the forehead, as she always did, before she put him to bed and handed him to his smiling sister...

Smiling, she bowed slightly to them before heading up the stairs, to give him a bath before bed, humming the tune her mother had hummed a thousand time to her as she was growing up...

A tune that one day Tenchi would be humming to his little daughter...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( On the way home... )**

As Katsuhito drove, Kiyone reran the past few hours in her mind...

He broke the silence...

" **You'll be able to make it over again several times more, before they return!... **"

Kiyone smiled, but there was a sadness...

" **I know... But all things come to an end, too...** "

Katsuhito didn't reply, he had an idea where this was going...

" **It will be at 'Burning Man' that Tennyo is conceived... Just as Tenchi was several years ago... **"

He said nothing...

" **Upon my become pregnant with Tennyo, the 'curse' will take effect and sweep me and her, into the past...** "

There was something he had to ask...

" **Then why did you have me suggest they leave Tenchi behind?... **"

Kiyone goggled...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **Because, father... I wanted a daughter... And the way things were going, it would have been the last chance we'd have...** "

She paused...

He still said nothing, there was nothing to say...

" **Besides, it's never a good thing to try to avoid your fate... **"

She paused again...

"** Is it?... Lady Tsunami?... **"

Katsuhito's eyes widened as he heard giggling coming from the back of the car...

Keeping his eyes on the road, he sighed as he heard a soft voice...

" **I love you father...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Around the world... )**

At the entrance of the small tent, Nobuyuki Masaki looked across the open area at the burning castle, the first of many to be burned during the next few days, watched by the tall male figure...

It had been late when they got here, but that didn't matter...

Having seen how hectic things could get a good friend, who spent the rest of the year moving other peoples things had an idea...

A group of people would get together, get the the site early and spent the time setting up tents and such for friends who wouldn't have the time ( and in most cases ability ) to set them up themselves...

This allowed more people to enjoy the evens with fewer worries, all they had to do was move their stuff into the tent...

Nobuyuki and Kiyone had been driven to the 'front-door' in an old army jeep and let off...

Inside, they discovered a trunk with their stuff, ready for them...

An old army cot was set up in the corner, the netting that covered it like a tent could give extra privacy...

It seem his friend had head he and the little woman were coming alone this year...

He bet his father-in-law had called ahead...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Standing in the opening, in his underwear, he watched people past by, also watching the fire, a good distance away...

Being down wind, there was the aroma of the different burning woods used in the castles constructions, as well as other oils used to paint it...

He could also feel some of the heat of the fire...

All part of the experience...

Suddenly, he could feel a naked female body press against his bare back and a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his body...

As he smiled, none of the people passing by gave them a second glance...

" **Come back to bed dear... I'm cold... **"

He couldn't help smiling, during the day it would get into the 80s or 90s and with the heat of the fire, it was still warm...

But who was he to refuse a ladies request...

Shortly there after, any one passing the tent would have heard lots of giggling...

If they had cared to stop and listen...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	15. Chapter 15

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 15... Christmas Giving...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Caribbean, late 1700s ... ) **

Anna Lee was able to find her way out to lookout point quite easily, even so late at night, with the help of the full moon...

But an 8 year old really shouldn't be out on her own...

Her mother had forbid her going out alone...

Recently an English merchantman had been attacked not far off shore...

It seem that the age of pirates wasn't as dead as some thought it was, yet...

The pirates had managed to get a few things, before the crew were able to repel them...

Only a handful were thought to have escaped...

But Anna Lee had a reason for being out late...

Her father had gone to see some people in London about funding for the plantation...

A recent letter, only few weeks old, had him returning soon...

And there was a high point on the north Eastern side of the island where you could see approaching ships...

That was where she was headed

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As she approached the point, she heard voices...

She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she knew anger...

It was the same tone her mother used where she was upset with her father...

Anna Lee carefully moved some branches aside and peeked through...

Sitting around a small fire were a number of males...

Their clothes were dirty and torn...

Her mother had pointed out people like them, when they were seeing her father off at the city pier...

They were people she should never talk too or go near...

And here they were, passing a large round bottle around...

Mumbling to them selves...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The male that was standing spoke up...

" **All zat truble and all weze got's zat box!...** "

She saw him hit a small box, with metal bands, that was sitting on a rock next to the cliff...

" **'N no un can gets it upen... **"

The one with the bottle stood up, a large pistol in his other hand...

With a wicked laugh he pointed the pistol at the box and pulled the trigger...

**BANG!...**

The box moved some, but remained closed...

The man who had been talking looked down at the hole in his stomach, the one that blood was flowing out of...

He had a surprised look on his face as he fell side ways, hitting the box again...

Only this time some thing did happen...

His body pushed the box off the rock and over the cliff...

There was silence...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Moments later the one with the pistol had a dagger thrust into his back...

Suddenly the men were fighting, with all kinds of weapons...

Anna Lee didn't wait to see what happen next, she ran all the way back to the house...

Once there she tried to sleep, but spent most of the night hiding under her sheets...

In the morning she took out the small book her grandmother had given her and she wrote about the men and the box, but told no one...

Several days later word came about the men found dead at the point...

People would refer to it as dead man's point from then on...

It was also about that time that her father returned and things calmed down...

But Anna Lee would remember that night and wonder, what could have been in that box...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( 200 years later... )**

The young girl looked out the window at the surrounding terrain...

Because her families home had been build where it had, it not only had a good view of their land, but also the small village below...

From her room see could see the port and would spend hours, watching the small boats sail up to and away from the docks...

Her grandmother said that her oh so great grandmother had done the same when she was her age...

Had she gotten her curiosity as well as her name from her ancestor, Anna Lee?...

Looking out the window, she could see the lights in the village, but there were only a few and spread about...

Power still hadn't been restored after the recent storm...

And there was no telling how much longer it would be...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

At the moment, the few things that needed power, in the house, were on the storage batteries, which were kept charged by a small wind generator, up on the roof...

Though they had a gas generator, they only used it in a real emergency and it was out in the stone building out back...

The lighting in the house, at the moment, was by lamps older than her parent, which were fueled by an oil distilled from the remains of their last sugar-cane crop...

Refined sugar had kept this plantation going, one way or another, for over two hundred years...

Local workers, from the village, had helped keep it going, in good times as well as bad and her family had returned the favor...

In fact, her parents were down in the village some where, right now, helping out...

Her family had a very long history and she was proud of it...

Being almost a teen, they had left her to watch the house, alone...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

She looked at her laptop, the one that one of her aunts had given her for Christmas last year...

There was so much she could now do...

The new cell tower in town allowed her to get on something called the 'Internet' and had widened her world after she learned how to access it...

She had recently even copied her name-sakes diary onto her laptop...

She was amused at some of the things she'd seen and experienced...

It also made her feel less alone at times like this...

For, like the house the laptop had it's own power source, a solar cell to help recharge the batteries...

Opening it, she checked and sighed...

_**Still no Internet access...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

( **A short time later, downstairs... **)

Anna Lee had reread some of her name-sake's adventures earkier in the day...

Boy did she have a wild imagination...

Sighing, she was going to take a last look ariubd, before retiring for the night...

It was as she stepped into the living room that she saw the head sticking through the far wall...

It was a female head, with long, spiky, light colored hair...

As her jaw dropped, the female saw her, smiled and put a finger to her lips...

" **Guess the house isn't empty...** "

The girl's expression changed and she took up a defensive posture...

" **We don't have much, but I won't let you have it...** "

Smiling, the strange female stepped out of the wall and into the living room...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The intruder was wearing a black and red outfit unlike any thing the girl has ever seen before...

Her golden eyes brightened as she noticed where the young girl was looking...

Putting her hands on her hips, she did a slow 360 degree turn, showing off her well formed figure...

" **Like it?... It's some thing I've had for a while and just threw on...** "

The girl stared at the intruder for the longest time, wondering if she was dreaming...

Hearing a sigh, she turned to see another female, with dark hair enter the room through the other doorway...

This female seem to be wearing some kind of robe...

" **Don't mind her... She just likes to make big entrances... **"

The two females stared at each out, as if about to get in a fight...

Then the dark haired female sighed and looked at the ceiling...

" **Why do I even bother?...** "

By now the two were in front of the fireplace, where one of the two lanterns that lit the room was...

As the two stare at each other, another voice spoke up...

" **Can we go?... I'm hungry!... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The heads of both females dropped down, as if looking at the floor, but she coukd see that both had their eyes closed...

Anna Lee turned her head to see an attractive blonde, wearing shorts and a tank-top standing in the other doorway, she had a small box up on her shoulder...

She didn't think much about the box, until the new comer swung it off her shoulder and dropped it to the floor...

She could feel the vibrations as the box hit the floor...

Her eyes widened, that had to be extremely heavy and the blonde had treated it as if it were cardboard...

It was the first female who spoke up, smiling...

" **Told you we shouldn't have left her alone... **"

The dark haired female's eye's glowed as she replied...

" **And you're the one who said she could get in and out without being seen... **"

She gestured towards the young girl...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The first female sighed and smiled...

" **Hey... Being a pirate meant I was able to steal things quietly... Giving things is an entirely different matter and I'm not that good... Yet...** "

Putting two fingers to the bridge of her nose, the second female closed her eyes and sighed...

" **What am I going to do with you?...** "

Anna Lee barely heard the first female's quiet reply...

" **Oh, I'm sure you'll think of some thing, later tonight...** "

The dark haired females face turned reddish and the third female giggled...

A wicked look in her eyes the first female looked at the young girl and sighed...

" **HERE!... Catch!... **"

She flipped a small shiny object into the air...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Anna Lee caught it and lifted it up so she could get a better view of what she had just caught...

It was a small round coin and it looked familiar...

It only took a moment to remember where she'd seen some thing like it before...

It had been in a museum in Kingston Jamaica, when the family gone to visit the famous Port Royal...

It appeared to be what was called a doubloon and some one had told her that the gold in one was worth several thousand American dollars at the moment...

She stood there and stared at it...

The dark haired female's voice drew her back to the present, as she pressed a second coin into her hand...

" **I suggest you tell every one that you found these down on the beach...** "

As she started to reply, the first female stepped closer and put a finger to her lips...

" **Do you really think any one will believe that three beautiful females appeared and gave them to you?...** "

One female sigh and the other giggled...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The girl looked up into the female's golden eyes...

" **And that they disappeared before your very eyes?... **"

The girl was surprised...

" **Disappeared?...** "

As the first female smiled, the second had joined the blonde, who had put the box back up on her shoulder, across the room...

Then the young girl watched as the two faded, but not before the blonde waved good-bye...

Staring at where the two had been, she heard the first female's voice...

" **I hate to admit it, but she is right... Go with the beach story... It's much more believable... **"

Turning her head she found herself alone...

If it wasn't for the two gold coins, she would have thought she was dreaming...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Aboard Ryo-Ohki... )**

As Mihoshi set the heavy strong box down she sighed...

Ayeka smiled and walked over to Ryo-Ohki's controls, putting in the new course...

Her brother's box was right where Washu had said it was, getting the tip for an old diary that had gotten online...

It had just been a chance thing...

They had given the coins inside to the local church, to help the locals...

Except for the coins for the descendant of the diary...

She couldn't help smiling, as she recalled the look on the young girl's face, more than worth it all...

Her brother wasn't interested in the coins any way, it had been the papers that were inside the special watertight strongbox...

Those and some Juriain data crystals he'd found before heading back home from the 'Olde world'...

The box was all that earth pirates, attacking the merchant ship he was on, got away with...

It had take 200 years to recover it...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Mission accomplished...

Mihoshi was in her usual spot, her chair, sound asleep, a smile on her face...

**SIGH...**

And as soon as Ryoko returned, they'd be heading home...

At which time the person in question appeared...

" **Speak of the devil...** "

Ryoko just smiled, she sensed that Ayeka was worried when she didn't appear on the bridge when the others had...

A line from a recent TV show came to mind...

" **Home!... Ryo-Ohki...** "

Some one special was waiting for them there...

Three females sighed at the same...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	16. Chapter 16

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 16... Family update...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Jurai Palace Royal private sitting room... ) **

As the lights returned to the darkened room, the only male in the room sat in his chair staring ahead, his mouth open...

One of the two females, sitting on each side, leaned over and gently put a finger under his chin and closed it for him...

Only then did he react ( after counting to a million - **TWICE**... )...

Standing, he turned and glared at the third female in the room, who was trying to give off an air of innocence...

Raising his arm, he pointed at the center of the room, as if pointing at some thing...

With great difficulty, words began to form...

" **HOW?...** "

" **YOU?...** "

" **THERE!... **"

" **MY DAUGHTER?...** "

The red-headed female tilted her head slightly, smiled, but didn't reply...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Masaki Living room... )**

Mihoshi stepped into the house, having finished her daily nap outside...

Seeing Ayeka dusting the living room she decided to ask her some thing...

" **Ayeka?... Do you know where little Washu was going?... She seem to be in a hurry and giggling...** "

Ayeka had only been half listening to Mihoshi, until the giggling part...

For some reason that sent a chill down her spine...

_**Ryoko, have you seen Washu?...**_

The reply was quick and instant, via the special connection Tenchi and the girls now had...

_**No, is some thing wrong?...**_

Ayeka had to smile, since becoming a "Wife", Ryoko had been taking matters involving the family more seriously...

However, that didn't mean she took her chores any more seriously...

_**Mihoshi mentioned her leaving in a hurry and giggling...**_

**THIS** had the effect of producing Ryoko 'in the flesh', looking around...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Seeing Mihoshi, Ryoko penned her to the wall, gently, but firmly...

" **Exactly where did you see her headed?... **"

Mihoshi couldn't see why they were upset and smiled...

" **She went that way!...** "

And pointed towards the back of the house...

Ayeka and Ryoko both stared in that direction, eyes widening...

There was only one thing back there, the door to the sub-space connection...

It was Sasami's voice that broke the silence...

"**Oh, yea... Little Washu went to Jurai... She mentioned having some thing to show our parents!... **"

Ayeka and Ryoko stared at each other, Ayeka spoke first...

" **You don't think she showed them... THAT!...** "

Ryoko tried her best, but a smile appeared...

Ayeka buried her face into Ryoko's shoulder as tears began to form...

Sasami couldn't help smiling as Ryoko tried her best to comfort her sister...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Juraian Palace... ) **

With the help of his two wives, Emperor Azusa was able to calm down...

He didn't dare attempt to speak, but he could stare...

Too bad it had absolutely no effect on Washu...

As if giving a lecture to students in school, she continued ...

" **As you saw from the holographic 3D projection, our recent little trip across the water to the Americas proved to be very educational...** "

While she could see steam coming from Azusa's ears, both his wives were trying hard not to giggle...

She had been sure that she would find allies there...

" **Sasami stayed at home, as did Mayuka, but we did take Ryo-Ohki...** "

She smiled...

" **After all, we did need transportation...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

This got a reaction from Azusa...

" **How could you take my daughter to such a primitive encounter?... You see more clothing on the beach... **"

Washu had seen that coming and was more than ready with a reply...

Azusa might be the ruler of a mighty Empire, but he was still a father...

" **Ayeka isn't a little girl any more and hasn't been for quite some time... Besides being several hundred years old, she's now a married woman and like her fellow wives, will follow their husband where ever he goes!... **"

She had to smile, remembering how they'd **'followed' **him halfway across the galaxy to that bar that he'd gone to with a friend, to acquire presents for them...

_**Whether he wants them too or not...**_

" **Besides... I didn't take them, they went with their Husband... Who had been invited by HIS father... **"

Actually, they'd only started out needing Ryo-Ohki, for transportation, who had drawn in Ryoko, who wouldn't go without Tenchi, and of course, where Tenchi went, Ayeka and Mihoshi followed...

And a quiet get-away became a family out-ting...

They would just have to plan more carefully next year...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Setting up that 12 x 12 tent at Burning Man had drawn a small crowd...

It seemed that self expanding tents hadn't been invented on that world, yet...

As it was, every one was entertained and no questions were asked...

There might have been a few, if any one had entered the finished tent...

For inside was an exact copy of the Masaki home, both in rooms and area...

Some thing only seen in Science fiction stories and movies...

Perhaps she'd just take a sub-space tunnel doorway with them next time, then they could not only enjoy the event, but also the comforts of home...

As for Sasami, she would be ready to go next year, as would Mayuka...

After all, hadn't Tenchi's parents taken him along on many of their early trips?...

It would also provide entertain for Nagi and the two Kiyones...

With the door they could 'visit' the site during their **OFF** hours...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

She had also noticed the looks on the faces of the queens, while she'd been showing the life-like images of the trip...

There was a chance it might be an even larger 'Family trip" next year...

As she considered all this, she noticed that they had finally managed to calm Azusa down...

So, it was time for the final "slides"...

The question she had been waiting for, came...

Queen Misaki Masaki Jurai, Ayeka and Sasami's mother, spoke up...

" **So, did you have an enjoyable time?... **"

Washu couldn't help smiling...

She'd had a wonderful time, especially the nights...

Taking a slight sigh, she replied...

" **A wonderful time... Especially on the last day!...** "

She had their attention as she brought up another life-size, 3D image in the middle of the room...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It took a moment for Azusa to recognize the two figures standing there smiling at him, a dark haired male and a red-headed female...

It wasn't that he didn't recognize the face of Tenchi's father, it was the fact that he was use to him wearing more than a pair of boxer shorts...

There was also the fact that his body was now colored black and white...

The female with red hair, as well as matching swim suit and body paint, had to be Washu...

For some reason the tail seem to go with it...

Washu couldn't help chuckle as she snapped her finger again...

And a number of figures joined the first two...

Washu heard the two queens gasp as they recognized the new male and four females...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It was now truly a family portrait that Washu would remember for ever...

In fact, there was already a copy of the image in her Lab...

The male on the left was Tenchi's father, wearing his black and white body paint...

And, of course, she was next to him, in her adult form, covered in RED body paint and sporting a matching tail...

The female next to her was Ryo-Ohki, in HER adult form, with her non-painted brown and white fur...

Washu smiled as she recalled that Ryo-Ohki had gotten the most complements on her body paint job, which wasn't paint, but she was wearing a matching swim suit...

Which meant that Ryoko was next, wearing a silver string swimsuit and a silver body paint job...

It had been at Tenchi's insistence that she wore the swimsuit...

And then came Tenchi, who, only at the insistence of his wives and mother-in-law, had been talked into being painted the same colors as his father, black and white...

The results were a completely different male that the young boy that Washu had first met after Kagato's destruction...

But she could still see a touch of reddish glow where he was blushing...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

This brought every one to the female in the dark purple body paint job...

Washu was sure she heard Azusa's jaw hit the ground as he recognized his daughter, Ayeka, the first princess of Jurai, also wearing a string swimsuit, colored purple from head to toe...

No one even noticed Mihoshi at the end, wearing yellow body paint and a long yellow silk scarf as a swim suit...

Washu knew there was going to be some questions, especially from Misaki, but she was ready...

She just considered if she should mention the problem they had when it was time to leave...

When it came time to remove the body paint, it all came off quite easily...

**EXCEPT** for Ayeka's...

It seem that some thing in the purple paint had stained her skin purple, leaving her looking like a very large human grape...

Needless to say, she found it less then humorous...

Upon getting home, a quick trip to Washu's lab had quickly corrected the problem...

That and an hour in Tenchi's comforting arms had her back to normal...

Except for Ryoko's random inquiry about how Tenchi's little grape was, which tended to still receive a fireball in response...

She smiled...

She couldn't wait until next year's Burning Man...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( A follow up to ch.11... )**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	17. Chapter 17

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 17... Copy Right...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Famed Star ship space dock... ) **

The manager was leading the tour of the company's newest ship, the company's pride and joy...

It not only boasted the latest, stronger shielding, but also new secret upgraded sensors and with advanced experimental sub-light engines it was said to be able to move twice as fast as before...

This could make it more than a match for any thing built outside the Juraian Empire or the Airaian Kingdom...

Rumor had it that it was light years ahead of any thing the competition had...

And there were even designs on the drawing boards that were said to even out stripped this model...

As the tour group made their way to the bridge, his watchful eye saw one of the several dozen perspective clients jotting down notes, some thing that was against the rules...

A quick check of his clipboard showed that she was part of a small party from a backwater planet he'd never heard of before...

There was no details about them, just that the credit check on them had come back rating them in the top 10 and with an odd note, "**They have the money!... "**

Like the others, the young girl had been informed of the rules and the consequences of breaking them...

He motioned to a security officer, who, with another officer confronted the girl...

Surrendering the small pad, she was led away, he would see about it later...

As such, he didn't see the young female close her eye for a moment as she was led away, then open them and smile...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( On the bridge... )**

The design of the bridge was his favorite part and he went to great pains to describe it's many stations and their workings...

Having done that he let them look around, though the bridge was a special design, there was nothing new or unusual about it...

There fore there was nothing worth stealing, so he could relax...

Or at-least he thought he could relax, until a young dark haired male and a light haired female approached him...

It seem that it was going to be a long day, a very long day, but he managed to smile any way...

" **And how may I help you?... Questions about the ship?... I'll try to answer them, within reason!...** "

The young male sighed and smiled...

" **No, No, it's a very nice ship... A little small, but nice...** "

_**Small?...This was one of the largest craft in it's class and for it's power ranges... Nice?...**_

He managed to smile and not lose it...

The young man smiled and continued...

" **I was looking around and we seem to have misplaced one of our group... **"

The manager sighed...

_**Why am I not surprised?...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It was now, as another, light-haired female joined them, that he noted the dark eye glasses that they were all wearing...

Even the colored-haired female had been wearing them...

_**They must come from a world under a dimmer sun...**_

He also noted the small creature on her shoulder, for the first time...

_**Didn't ANY of this group hear the restrictions about coming on board?**_

Trying to remain calm and smile, he pointed at the creature...

" **I'm afraid I must ask that you remove your pet from the ship... Pets are not allowed on board... **"

She started to say something, but a slight nod and smile from the young male stopped her, she just sighed and turned away...

That taken care of, he turned his attention back to the young male...

" **You were saying, Sir!...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Smiling, the young male took a slight breath, as if sighing...

" **Yes.. I was going to inquire as to if you happen to notice what happen to one of our group... I noticed that she hadn't joined us on the bridge!... **"

Still smiling, the manager steeled himself for their reactions...

" **Ah, yes!... It seems that she was caught taking notes and was escorted to the Chief Manager's office... She will be questioned before being released or jailed... **"

Oddly, the only reaction from the couple was a slight smile...

" **And the reason for her being jailed?... **"

He hadn't really wanted to say any thing, but he needed to defend the company...

" **Unfortunately, with new breakthroughs come an increase in industrial espionage... In recent months, since the day view of our latest model, we've apprehended a number of agents, working for other companies as well as other governments... We know that Jurai has shown an interest, but since we are a part of the Airai Kingdom, they've been more cautious... **"

The female on his arm smiled...

" **You needn't worry about mother, she doesn't work for any one but her self...** "

As the manager was about to reply, the other Female returned, holding the hand of a small female child...

This caught his eye, as children were also not allowed on the tour and he pointed his finger...

" **HOW DID THIS CHILD GET HERE?...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

There were a number of reactions to this...

The returning female put a hand on the small child's shoulder, as she had instantly hidden behind the taller female at the out burst, to comfort her...

The other female had started to react, a frown on her face, when the male stopped her...

Seeing the two females looking past him, the manager turned around, to find the male looking at his, his smile gone...

As if with great patience, he spoke softly...

" **Now, was that really necessary?...** "

There was a calmness in his voice that made the manager nervous, a calmness as if from years of dealing with the realities of life, but how?...

Then he recalled that the female standing next to the male had made a comment about her 'Mother'?...

An eyebrow went up, but the first female had been way **TOO** young to have had a daughter, unless...

Only a few races could be that young looking and still have children...

And there was the male, who appeared to be more mature than his appearance suggested...

" **Are you Juraian?... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The young male tilted his head slightly and continued to smile...

" **As a matter of fact, yes...** "

**THAT** was enough for the manager, he motioned to a number of the security officers to approach...

As an officer came to stand next to the male and three females, the male gestured to the small female to join him...

As she moved to his side the officer standing next to her tried to grab her, but was stopped by the female next to him...

He was surprised, as the grip on his arm was nearly crushing it...

Looking into her eyes sent a chill down his spine as she spoke with a slight smile...

" **It's not nice to grab...** "

At that, she released his sore arm and he carefully joined the little girl, now holding onto the male, who was stroking her hair...

Calmly, the young male looked at the manager...

" **What now?... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The manager wasn't sure, as he looked around...

" **You're Juraian!... **"

The young male sighed before replying...

" **SO?... **"

Building his resolve the manager nodded to the officers...

" **We've been expecting the Juraians to attempt something...** "

The young male continued to look at him...

" **We're taking you to the Chief Manager's office, to get this sorted out...** "

Looking at the others, the male nodded his head...

With the manager in the lead, the whole group proceeded to leave the bridge...

Another official took the manager's place with the tour, directing their attention to more of the new feature that were included with this model star ship...

A tall, light-haired female had been watching the whole thing and smiled slightly...

Feeling the small creature wrapped around her neck move, she looked around, but no one had seen it...

She carefully reached up and stroked it behind the eat, to calm it...

_**In due time, all in due time!...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The Chief Manager's office... )**

The Chief Manager entered his office and questioned one of the security offices watching the the young female...

" **Any thing to report?... Has she made any more attempts to record data?...** "

The officer shook his head and handed the Chief Manager the small note pad with it's strange notations...

" **She's been quiet... Just looking out the window at the dock...** "

Almost as an after thought he continued...

" **She did spend some time leaning on your work station, but then she went to the window...** "

The Chief Manager looked at his work station, where all his important data and secret files were stored...

" **And she only leaned on it?... She didn't try any thing?... **"

" **No, sir!... We would have notice, we watched her the whole time...** "

That seem to reassure him...

Any one attempting to access the system would have not only had to had the pass words, but gotten by the Bio-scan, as well as the most advanced security system and she'd only been here 15-20 minutes...

Also, any attempt would have set off alarms all over the place...

He smiled...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Walking over to the window, he stood by the young female, looking at the ships being built...

He decided to see if he could get a reaction...

" **Are you Juraian, also?...** "

Her reaction was not what he expected, she started giggling...

After a while she calmed down and looked up at the Chief Manager...

" **What a silly idea... My daughter talks too much... **"

Recovering his wits, the Chief Manager tried again...

" **But the male said...** "

There was pride in her voice as she interrupted him, with a big smile...

" **My son-in-law is only part Juraian, but you can't hold that against him... You don't get to chose who your great-grandparents are... **"

Her eyes seem to glow as she said that...

_**SON-IN-LAW?... GREAT-GRANDPARENT?...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Before he could reply, there was a knock on the door...

_**The others were here!...**_

Pulling himself together, he waved his hand and the doors opened...

In walked a young male and three more females, along with their escorts...

The Chief Manager looked at the young female and then her four companions...

" **Would some one like to explain what's going on here?...** "

The young female had stepped over to the office's large communication screen...

She pulled out a small card and held it in the air...

" **This will explain every thing!...** "

As every one watched, she inserted the card into the screen's access port and the dark screen activated...

No one moved or spoke...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

After a few minutes, a female appeared on the screen and she didn't seem happy...

She noted a number of people in the room, but she focused on the closest male, the Chief Manager...

When she spoke, it was low and sent a chill down his spine...

" **How did you get this access code?...** "

It had taken only a moment for him to recognize the dark-haired female, his head dropped in a bow...

" **Your, Majesty!... **"

The security officers, being Airaian, recognized Queen Aimi Magma and snapped to attention...

The Queen was going to ask again, when her eye noticed the young female standing to the side...

" **I see!...** "

With that she looked around the room...

A slight smile came to her face as she saw the other females and the male, she returned her attention to the first female...

" **A family outing?...** "

The female smiled as she replied...

" **Something like that...** "

The Queen sighed, but smiled as the female child peeked from behind the young male...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The Chief Manager looked at the smiling female, then the Queen, then the female again...

" **Your, Majesty!... You know these people?...** "

The Queen sighed again, but continued to smile...

" **The male is Tenchi Masaki, the new Crown Prince of Jurai... The two females with him are his wives, Princess Mihoshi Kuramitsu Masaki and Princess Ryoko Hakubi Masaki... And the female next to you is his mother-in-law professor Washu Hakubi... **"

The Chief Manager hadn't reacted, until Washu's name was mentioned, then his jaw dropped...

The Queen looked around...

" **I don't see Ayeka... Is she alright?... **"

Washu smiled as she replied...

" **She's quite alright... She and a few others are at the galaxy Stock Market, awaiting reaction to the news that this company's newest genius designer is a fake and has been using stolen plans to work his way up in this company... **"

The Queen looked at the manager and then back at Washu, her smile had disappeared...

" **You do realize that they are one of our major military ship builders!... Such a scandal could cause the stocks to drop and a rush to sale, possibly even bankruptcy...** "

Washu nodded...

" **Ayeka and others will be buying stocks in your name, thus preventing any attempts at a hostile take-over...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The Queen looked at the Chief Manager and then motion to the security officers, who left the room...

As the Chief Manager started to leave, Ryoko smiled, produced a light sword and held it before him, preventing him from leaving...

As a couple of the security officers started to intervene, the Queen spoke up...

" **It's O.K, officer Mihoshi of the Galaxy Police will handle it... **"

Mihoshi waved at the officers, after which they turned and left the room...

As the door closed, the Queen turned her attention back to a smiling Washu...

" **I assume you have some reason for this accusation?...** "

She noted Washu looking at the Chief Manager and not smiling...

" **Little Washu!...** "

Washu looked at her son-in-law, smiled and sighed...

She then turned back to face the Queen...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **Due to recent events, very few people are aware that I've returned... And I have kept it like that... For obvious reasons... **"

The Queen smiled, she was well aware of some of those 'recent events'...

" **However, recently, I had some spare time and decided to check on a few things...** "

She paused a moment...

" **Among other things, I decided to check on my old lab at the Academy, which was sealed after my kidnapping with a stasis lock, preventing access and preserving my work... With long lives, Juraian trees and stasis fields it's the standard procedure when professors are away for long periods of time or when material is considered too dangerous for public release...** "

She glanced at the Chief Manager...

" **To my surprise, I discovered that several years ago, an explosion had accured, blowing a hole in one of the Lab's walls... An investigation ruled that, since I was known to deal with dangerous substances, some of my lab material had become unstable and exploded... A reasonable conclusion, after several thousand years... Besides the wall, a portion of the Lab was damaged and research document damaged or destroyed... A quick check for any other unstable material was done, nothing being touched or removed, the wall was repaired and the lock reset... **"

She paused again...

" **Being the only one to know what was and wasn't in the lab, I was also the only one to know that there was no material in the lab that could have become unstable, much less explode, even after a 100,000 years... **"

The Queen looked at Washu and then the Chief Manager...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Washu continued...

" **Learning of the explosion, I conducted my own investigation, having access to ALL the evidence collected, as well as ALL security footage of the area... **"

She had the Queen's attention...

" **By studying scans taken in the Lab, of the wall and the damage I was able to determine that - A. the hole in the wall was not created by an explosion, but cut by a drill, - B. the explosion had been set to explain the hole and hide the fact that research files had been removed from the lab,,, **"

" **You were able to tell that research files were missing?... Even after all that time?...** "

One of the Queen's eyebrows had gone up as Washu was talking...

Washu smiled...

" **The thief had not taken into account the possibility that - 1 - I might return and 2 - I would have duplicate, backup files in my sub-space Lab...** "

Both of the Queen's eyebrows went up...

" **AND the types of files - stolen!...** "

The Queen was now looking at the Chief Manager...

" **A collection of star ship designs and experimental engine designs that I had considered at one time or another when I was working on Ryo-Ohki... Also advanced weapon and defense suggestions... Though mostly out dated by Juaian and Airaian standards, as well as my own, they are still centuries ahead of general Galaxy designs...** "

Washu was now looking at the Chief Manager...

" **Design improvements that I noticed when examining the remains of the Raider craft that attacked the Juraian light cruiser **_**Dark Sun**_** some time ago... Even a ship that old should have been able to fend off a couple of small attack craft, even Raiders... But instead, had it not been for the arrival of Ryo-Ohki and the **_**Yukinojo, **_**it would have been destroyed and a great many upper-class Juraian would have lost family members, possibly causing civil unrest... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**BOTH** females were looking at him and the Chief Manager began to move backwards, until he felt a hand on each of his shoulders...

Looking , he discovered Ryoko and Mihoshi standing on each side of him, each with a hand on a shoulder, nether was smiling...

He didn't see Tenchi standing at his desk, Ryo-Ohki back in her pet form, in his arms...

Tenchi had more than enough experience with these females to know when to stand aside...

Ryo-Ohki could care less what the others were doing, like most of the Masaki females, she had Tenchi's attention and he was scratching her behind the ear...

Across the room, Washu felt the emotion radiating from her youngest daughter and smiled as she wondered if there would be another wedding and another princess in the future?...

_**DON'T EVEN GO THERE... MOTHER!...**_

Seeing Ryoko looking her way, she realized she'd been thinking too loud and Ryoko had picked it up through their link...

Her eye brow went up as she saw Tenchi smiling at her and kiss Ryo-Ohki on the forehead...

_**She's always been a Princess to me!...**_

Washu quickly brushed away some thing in the corner of her eye...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The Queen's voice returned Washu to the present...

" **And what led you here?...** "

Washu smiled...

" **Knowing which files were taken, I checked and discovered that shortly after graduating from the Academy, our friend here applied for a designer's opening... He was soon showing great promise, coming up with a number of advanced designs and concepts... ALL similar to those in the stolen files... This all which led to his very rapid advancement...** "

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him...

" **Checking the investigation files, I was surprised to discover that at the exact time of the explosion, he was being given his diploma in front of tens of thousands of witnesses... But although the explosion did wreck part of the lab and cover the fact that the hole had already been there, it didn't set off secondary explosions around the lab which would have destroyed just about every thing... Contrary to rumors, I didn't have any explosive material in that lab... Thus we were able to fix the actual break-in at about 24-36 hours earlier, when security footage puts him in the general area, moving boxes of stuff around...** "

Now ALL eyes in the room were on the Chief Manager...

" **And then there is THIS!... **"

Washu pulled out a small metal ball and held it out, allowing it to float from her hand and up to a spot above the center of the room...

Snapping her finger, they all found themselves in some kind of lab...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The Queen and the Chief Manager, both stared at where they were...

Tenchi and the others had experienced this before and didn't blink an eye...

Washu spoke to the Queen...

" **This is an experimental multi-D imaging system I've been toying with... It recreates images in such a way as to allow you to move in it...** "

Smiling, she passed her hand through a lab table next to her...

" **An idea I got while watching the girls play a game on the entertainment system back at the house...** "

She could see that the Queen was impressed...

" **If you'll watch the wall over there, we'll finish this... **"

Washu pointed to a section of the 'Lab' wall in view of the Queen and every one else...

After a few moments, a metal rod pushed it's way out of the wall and then disappeared...

It was replaced by a metal saw blade which slowly proceeded to cut a round line in the wall...

When that was finished, the section of wall was pulled backwards, leaving a hole in the wall...

A figure, dressed in a form fitting white safety outfit, crawled through the hole...

As they watched, the figure moved to a nearby cabinet and began going through files, removing some, leaving others...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

This took a while as the figure seem to be very selective in what they were removing, but being as through as possible...

Taking the large bag of selected file, the figure removed an object from a bag and placed it on the cabinet...

The figure then exited the same way they had entered...

The section of wall reappeared and the cut area around it was filled with a paste that quickly hardened...

Washu walked over to the section of wall and pointed to an object attached to the replaced section of wall...

" **This is the real cause of the explosion, damaging the wall enough to cover signs of the entrance hole...** "

She pointed to the other device...

" **And THAT is to cover any evidence of missing files...** "

She snapped her finger and the figure appeared again...

" **Shall we see who our thief is?...** "

Brushing her hand across the face of the figure, the protective hood disappeared, leaving the face of a slightly younger Chief Manager...

The only one not smiling was the Chief Manager, his mouth wide open...

Washu saw the Queen nod her head, she'd seen enough...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( A short while later... )**

When the security officers returned, the office was back to normal and they were ordered by the Queen to take the Chief Manager to max security, until Royal security could pick him up...

The assistant Manager was informed that he was in charge for the moment, due to the Chief Manager's removal...

He didn't ask any questions when informed as to who these people were, though he was surprised that another female had joined the group...

Nagi Katsumoro, the famous bounty hunter...

The queen sighed and looked at the manager...

"** I suppose we should contact the top owners of the company and get permission to examine the company's files?... **"

Washu smiled...

" **As this company is under Airaian protection, that means all that is needed is Royal permission for the search... Your Majesty... **"

One of her Majesty's eyebrows went up as she nodded her head...

" **You have OUR permission, Professor Washu...** "

With a smile, Washu stepped to the desk and waved he hand over it and an odd shaped box appeared...

" **I put this here as soon as I was escorted in... It took a few minutes to work through the primitive security system... But as soon as I was in, I spent my time going through and studying the various files, locating my stolen files, as well as any information on the Chief Manager's activities... All while waiting for him to return and Tenchi and the others to join us... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The manager looked around...

" **How... How were you able to study the files, without any one seeing you?...** "

Washu's smile got even bigger as she tapper her sunglasses...

" **You've just got to love those earthling and their TV shows... No wonder the galaxy Police has scramblers blocking the transmissions from reaching the rest of the universe... It's not JUST the violence that they don't want being picked up...** "

She removed her glasses and turned them around, exposing the tiny screens on the inside of each lens...

" **A certain young female saw a similar pair while watching a show and asked me if I could create a pair so she could watch her shows without bothering the others...** "

Every one looked at a blushing Mihoshi...

" **From there, other uses were obvious... **"

She removed several small crystals from the device and held them up...

" **This one is data on his Raider contacts... Even as I speak copies are being sent to the Grand Marshall of the Galaxy Police, Queen Funaho of Jurai and to your Majesty...** "

She turned to Nagi...

" **This one has data on some underworld criminals with bounties on their heads, some thing I trust you can handle...** "

Nagi smiled as she accepted the crystal...

" **And this last crystal contains all the stolen files, removed from the system...** "

The manager stared at the crystal, containing his company's future...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Washu smiled one of her wicked smiles...

" **Don't look so glumly... Now that these files are back in their rightful owners hands, I'm sure we can work out an arrangement... Royalty rights for the systems already being used will have to be worked out... **"

She noticed the Queen watching her and smiled...

" **Those rights will be to the Airai Royal family!... **"

The Queen's eyebrow went up again...

" **This will give you even MORE say in this companies working... Cutting off a source of newer technology to black-markets and to people like Raiders who would put it to the wrong use...** "

Washu looked at the Queen...

" **Besides, it keeps it all in the family... **"

The Manager didn't understand, but the Queen did and smiled...

This would go far to help his Majesty accept the fact that, through the Masaki family and Prince Tenchi, his great-grandson, he was now blood kin to the Juraian Royal family, his long time rivals...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

She'd once heard her daughter mention there never being a dull moment when the Masaki family was involved, she was discovering that to be so true...

The quiet was broken by a loud voice coming from behind the Queen...

" **AIMI!... WHERE ARE YOU?... THE TUB'S WATER IS GETTING COLD!... **"

As every one watched, the Queen's face reddened as her eyes widened...

" **Got to go!... BYE!...** "

With that the screen went dark, leaving a silent room...

Washu smiled as Ryoko whispered some thing in Tenchi's ear, causing his face to turn red...

Mihoshi had Tenchi's other arm and had missed every thing...

Nagi just shook her head and smiled...

Washu saw the manager staring at the blank screen and waved her hand near his head...

" **You saw nothing... Nothing happen... It was all a dream...** "

She turned to a smiling Tenchi...

" **Well... It was worth a try...** "

She couldn't help smiling...

" **Let's go home...** "

Leading the way, Washu exited the office, leaving the Manager staring at the screen...

Had there been any one there, they would have heard the Manager mumble some thing...

" **You saw nothing... Nothing happen... It was all a dream...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	18. Chapter 18

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 18... Adoption...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Kurashiki City, Japan... ) **

A small group of people stood before one of the more modern buildings in this city of less than half a million...

A elderly male in the robes of a Shinto priest and two plainly dressed females...

A mature woman and a young female you appeared to be in her teens...

The male had to smile, for nothing was what it seemed...

Him or the females...

Although he seem to be the oldest, the 'young' girl was nearly as old as he was and the other female made him look like a new born baby...

But a gentleman didn't inquire about a lady's age, especially from one who could form balls of pure energy in their hand and throw it at you...

He recalled when his wife got mad at him for some reason and started throwing things, usually any thing within reach...

He hadn't always managed to avoid **ALL** of the flying objects...

The last thing he needed to be hit by was a ball of energy that could destroy an entire wall, if not the building it's self...

But over time bits and pieces had indicated the the 'mature', attractive, red-headed female was several tens of thousands of years old, depending on who's calender you went by...

The shy, light haired teenage was just over a thousand herself, an Adult by Galaxy standards...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Katsuhito Masaki was well know locally and knew the area quite well, having found himself stranded in the hills west of town, after his space-ship crashed over 700 year before...

At a time when the only thing for miles around was a small castle nearby...

With his mode of transportation and communications destroyed, he was unable to leave or even summon help...

Coming from a race with very long-lives, he had to realize that on this world, he now only had decades to look forward to, instead of the hundreds, if not thousands of years he would have had...

So...

He had come to accept this world, far out on the edge of explored space, as his own, as the place that he would spend the rest of his life...

He had then set up a small shrine, in the hills where he's crashed and taken up the robes of a Shinto priest...

Settling in to his new life, he had accepted his fate...

However, **FATE** would have the last laugh, for, not only had the crash had not only created a small crater/valley, the pressure had compressed the minerals in the sub-soil into a 'bowl' that would help protect him from the long term effects of radiation within the soil that could effect his aging...

Also, special gems that he had acquired, also helped him stay alive...

This also allowed him to leave the shrine, to go out and explore this vast, wild world he was now on...

He didn't discover the details of how this happen until the older female came into his life recently...

With professor Washu Hakubi, "the greatest scientific mind in the galaxy" around, life was any thing but dull...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Earlier... )**

As Katsuhito entered the living room, he noticed 'little Washu' standing before the large window, looking out...

What caught his eye was the tear running down her chin...

Looking past her and out the window he could see the 'children' out on the dock...

Their latest visitor was lying on one of the lounge chairs, a small female child asleep on top of her...

The older girl was gently running her hand through the child's hair and seem to be humming something...

It wasn't hard to guess what she was humming, for Washu was humming also...

She stopped when she felt him near, quickly wiping her cheek...

" **Penny for your thought?...** "

In her adolescent form, she had to look up to him, but she didn't mind...

He was one of the few people that she felt she could talk to, openly...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **You're worried about Minagi, now that Yakage is dead...** "

Washu's eyebrow went up, the old priest had a way of seeing things...

Like her mother/sister Ryoko, who's DNA she was created from long ago, Minagi had become a space pirate...

However, thanks to keeping a low profile ( unlike Ryoko ) and with a little help for **REALLY **high places, she was still unknown ( only a handful knew of her ) and there wasn't a bounty put on her head...

**YET** ...

And as the people she targeted were usually doing some thing out-side-the-law, they weren't too eager to draw attention to themselves by announcing that they'd been robbed...

But that also didn't stop them from doing any thing THEY wanted if they managed to catch her...

For the most part, there was nothing Washu could do!...

" **Adopt her!...** "

Washu turned to the smiling priest, her mouth wide open...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The present... )**

And so it was that the three of them were in front of the governmental offices of the city of Kurashiki, the closest city to the shrine...

Katsuhito had spent the past 700 years watching this area change from a single small castle to the large city of half a million that it was today...

He'd watched from afar as those in charge came and went...

He had known many of them, the good and the bad...

There was a saying about "**knowing where the skeletons were buried**"...

He would know, for in 700 years he'd had buried his share, those who, for some reason, had threatened the shrine...

So he had a connection or two...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

A shy Minagi, dress as a teenager of this world, held the hand of a smiling Washu, in her adult form...

Inside, Washu was a nervous as Minagi was, several thousand years of experiences with governmental agencies had worn any patients she'd had rather thin...

But they followed Katsuhito into the building and then down the various hall ways...

Until the stood before a door reading **"CHILD SERVICES"** in the local language...

Opening the door, Katsuhito held it open for the two females and then followed them in...

To Washu's eyes it had all the marking of governmental offices she'd been in before, on other worlds...

As they were the only ones there, Katsuhito led them up to the desk with the only other person in the room...

A clerk, studying papers between taking sips from a small tea cup...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Without looking up he spoke...

" **Put your papers on the counter and had a seat... We'll get to you as soon as we can!...** "

As Washu was about to reply, Katsuhito held up a hand and smiled...

He then turned back to the clerk...

" **Ayeka Masaki Jurai sends her regards... **"

To Washu's surprise, **THAT** got a reaction, the clerk froze and then slowly looked up, his eyes wide ...

" **Prince Yosho!...** "

Katsuhito managed not to laugh, but held up a hand...

" **It's Katsuhito Masaki at the moment...** "

The clerk had snapped to attention and bowed...

He managed to relax, but checked to make sure no one had seen his reaction, there were only the four of them...

" **Sorry, Your- **"

He caught himself as Katsuhito held up his hand again...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **How?...** "

Katsuhito chuckled

" **How did I know that Queen Misaki, Supreme Commander of the Royal Bodyguards, had stationed members of the Royal Guard on this planet?... I've lived here for 700 years, one does tend to notice newcomers appearing within the last few years...** "

The clerk looked relieved...

He was a bit concerned as he eyed the females with Katsuhito...

" **And theses are?...** "

At a nod from Katsuhito, Washu changed back to her adolescent, younger form...

**THIS** red-headed female he had been informed about...

" **Professor Washu Hakubi... **"

Washu smiled as she replied softly...

" **Also Crown Prince Tenchi's mother-in-law!...** "

She liked the reaction she got, the clerk bowed again, almost banging his head into the counter...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Tenchi's grandfather shook kis head, Tenchi's wives enjoyed introducing themselves too...

To them the title crown prince didn't mean as much as being Mrs Tenchi Masaki...

He smiled at Washu and shook his head, they had business today...

A very respective clerk stood behind the counter...

" **How may I serve the Royal family?...** "

At this Washu presented the forms and papers that Katsuhio had helped her put together...

Taking them and examining them, the clerks eyebrow went up...

" **Couldn't this be done on Jurai?...** "

Katsuhio smiled before speaking...

" **Yes, but how quick do you think, something having to do with the royal family, will be in the news and spread across the galaxy?...** "

The clerk's eyebrow went up and he nodded...

" **This being a Juraian colony world, even if they don't know it, legal actions would still be recognized by the Empire... **"

The clerk smiled and nodded his head

**. . . . . . . . . .**

He then looked at the papers and the at the shy, light haired girl...

" **You are Minagi and you accept being adopted?... **"

Minagi nodded her head...

" **You are the daughter of lord Yakage of Jurai?...** "

She nodded her head again, but turned to Washu...

" **Being cloned, can I legally be his daughter?... **"

Washu smiled back, sighing...

" **Cloning is legal on most high tech worlds, including Jurai... Most children are conceived in tubes these days, it's easier and safer for both the child and mother... Besides he left every thing to you, there by making you his heir...** "

The clerk made turned to his computer and began entering data into the system...

Finishing that, he made notations on several of the pages, adding data and stamping them...

Several pages he placed before Washu, who signed them where he pointed to...

He then had Katsuhio and then Minagi sign on certain lines...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

After Minagi finished signing, the clerk picked up the papers and examined them one last time...

Satisfied, he made notations and applied a number of official seals to the papers...

Bowing slightly, he returned several pages to Washu...

Smiling, Washu nodded her head as she accepted not only the papers, but Minagi as her legal daughter...

The clerk turned to Minagi and smiled...

" **On behalf of the Royal Guard, may I be the first to welcome you into the Imperial Family?... Lady Minagi Hakubi... **"

Leaving her speechless, he turned back to Katsuhio...

" **Is there any thing else I can do?...** "

Katsuhio smiled and nodded...

" **I'd rather this not get back to my father just yet... It was hard enough for him to accept princess Ryoko, I think we'll introduce her clone 'twin' at a better time... **"

The clerk smiled and nodded his head...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Katsuhio turned the the two females...

" **Ready to head home?... **"

Washu smiled and looked at her new daughter...

Minagi smiled and sighed softly...

"** Home... **"

She then took both their hands and all three disappeared...

The clerk stared at the spot the three had just been and smiled...

He had been warned about the **'ODD'** behavior of the members of the crown prince's family...

He'd never expected to actually meet any of them face-to-face...

It seem that the Crown Prince was indeed some one worth following...

He raised his cup of tea...

" **Long live the Imperial Family... Banzai!...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	19. Chapter 19

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 19... A knight's tale - part.01...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( A market place... ) **

A young boy sat on a low stone wall watching the people go about their business, not paying him a second thought...

He wondered what they would think if he told them he wasn't from this world?...

Probably think he was crazy...

After all, he was dressed like them and even spoke their language...

Biting into his apple, he fed some more bits of carrots to the small creature curled up in his lap...

She purred, but she wasn't a cat, though she kind of looked like one...

As she ate, he scratch her behind her ear, some thing she enjoyed a great deal, especially by him...

At least that was what she'd told him once...

She wasn't what she seem to be ether...

Looking up, the boy spotted a young, dark haired female coming his way and she didn't look too happy...

_**Now what?...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As she got closer, he could hear her low mumblings and could just make some of it out...

" **... primitive bunch of... no respect for a... I'd like to take their... and ...** "

Seeing the boy, she sighed and stopped mumbling...

However when she saw him smile at her, he eyes widened as she realized she'd been speaking loud enough for him to hear her...

A part of her face turned a slight reddish color...

However, her attention was drawn to the light haired female rising from behind the wall and stretched...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As her eyes adjusted to the noon day light, the second female noticed the other female on the other side of the wall...

She started to greet the other female, but, noting the look on her face, she whispered to the boy instead...

" **Is she upset again?... **"

Ayeka Masaki Jurai Masaki, first princess of the Juraian Empire had very good hearing and opened her mouth to say some thing...

However, as Mihoshi Kuramitsu Masaki, an officer of the vast Galaxy Police force, was correct, she just sighed and drew closer to the young boy, Tenchi Masaki...

It wasn't Mihoshi that she was upset with, it was herself...

With all her years of being taught the delicate art of diplomacy and after all that time watching her parents during section of the royal court, she thought she could handle just about any thing...

Obviously not when the other person seem to had the IQ of a three year-old...

It was then that a third female, with light colored hair stepped out of the nearby shadow, smiling, Ryoko Hakubi Masaki...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Some time before... )**

After finding themselves stranded on this distant world, it became apparent that they were going to have to blend in for a while...

The small creature in his lap, Ryo-Ohki, was their mode of transportation and for some reason, she was unable to transform into her star ship form, at the moment...

As fate would have it, Ryoko was able to change her outfit enough that she was able to blend in with the locals...

Thus she was able to travel to small town some distant off and trade a few items they happen to have, for clothing for Tenchi and the two females...

However, that didn't get them any food or local money with which to buy things to eat or a place to stay...

And they didn't have much worth trading, at least not without breaking inner-galaxy laws...

And trading or saleing technology higher than the local tech level was in the top ten **NO-NOs**...

Ryoko's suggestion of letting her 'acquire' what they needed had gotten Mihoshi depressed, for she didn't want to have to arrest her fellow sister/wife...

And Ayeka reminded her that a princess of Jurai did not steal, no matter what...

Tenchi just smiled and shook his head...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Ayeka then taked a few gem stones and pieces of silver to one of the merchants in town and tried to sale it...

The merchant had spent the whole time examining each piece, pointing out each and every cut and scratch...

Then he had offered her a tiny fraction of what she knew they were worth and when she tried to get a higher price he'd dismissed it as the best he could do and then only because she seem like such a nice young woman...

Seeing that she wasn't going to get any thing for what she had, she had smiled, sighed and thanked him for his time...

Two other merchant offered her even less, so she had returned to the other, with nothing to show for her efforts...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( the present... )**

After Ayeka informed the others of her failed mission, Tenchi looked at Ryoko and spoke...

" **And how did you do?...** "

To Ayeka's surprise, Ryoko smiled and held out a small pouch, from which she poured a number of metal coins into her other hand...

Looking first at Ryoko and then Tenchi, her eyebrow dropped...

"**How?...** "

It was Tenchi who replied as Ryoko handed him the coins...

" **Since we arrived here I've been observing and studying the people, the places and what is happening around up...** "

It was Ryoko who spoke...

" **You've been hanging around Mom far too much...** "

Tenchi just smiled and continued...

" **One thing I've noticed was how few things were made from metal...** "

Now that she considered it, almost all of the merchants wares were made of cloth or carved from wood...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **Ryoko made a few discrete inquires and we learned that due to recent conflicts, most of the local metal was collected by the local lord to use for weapons... **"

Ayeka nodded her head, she wasn't surprised, military conflict often effected economies...

" **As we were coming here, we passed a large field, unploughed and unused... There was the remains of animals and other things... Ryoko noticed it and mention to me that a battle had probably taken place there... I didn't think about it again, until after her little information gathering trip...** "

He smiled as Ayeka nodded her head...

" **It accrued to me that there might still be metal in that field... So, while you were gone, Ryoko took Mihoshi back there and Mihoshi used her GP bracelet to locate metal... Then Ryoko phased her hand into the ground and pulled it out... They managed to salvage a good deal of small pieces... She took a small bag to one of the blacksmiths... And you see how much she got...** "

He smiled at Mihoshi...

" **Mihoshi has been so kind as to protect the rest...** "

Ayeka sighed as she looked at her fellow sister/wife...

_**I swear she can sleep any where, on any thing...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **She will take some small bags to other blacksmiths, here and in other villages, increasing our funds... Until we have enough to get food and possible lodgings...** "

He took Ryoko's hand as he continued...

" **I don't know about the rest of you, but I feel a need to get cleaned up... It's been a while since we changed...** "

He glanced at the locals, going about their business around them...

" **And I don't think we're likely to find bathing accommodations in a small town like this... In fact, if thus were back home, I would say conditions here were similar to those during the middle ages... Swords, armor, bow and arrows, etc...** "

A look of concern crossed his face as he looked at the three of them...

" **Also... Producing a flaming sword or fireball would be considered witchcraft... As I recall, punishable by burning the person, tied to a stake... Like that odd, blackened log we saw sticking out of the ground in that open area we passed through in the middle of town... **"

He looked at Ryoko...

" **Being seen to appear and disappear out of thin air would also be bad... **"

He held up a hand as Ryoko's eye's narrowed and she started to say some thing...

" **YES!, I know you've been to worlds like this before and are aware of the problem... This was for Ayeka and Mihoshi's benefit, as well...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

He turned to Ayeka...

" **Producing a number of small wooden logs, floating in mid air, would also produce a similar response... **"

He reached up and stroked her cheek, his face becoming sad...

" **And I don't want to take a chance of losing any of you...** "

As the three nodded their heads, he continued, keeping an eye on their surroundings as he spoke. even softer..

" **We don't know how we found ourselves in this system, only that we did and that _Ryo-Ohki_ had only enough energy left to land us here...** "

The others looked at each other and then back at Tenchi, again nodding their heads...

" **We also don't know WHY we're here, but if past experience is any example, one of your Aunts is involved...** "

He was looking at Ryoko, who's eyes widened at his comment, he smiled and put a fanger to her lips as she started to reply...

" **I trust both of them and know it must be extremely important if they've done this... But at the same time, we can't just assume that they are responsible and let our guard down... This is a very dangerous world and we have to stay alert at all times...** '

This time he was looking at Mihoshi...

The person who had the greatest scientific mind in the Galaxy pulling her hear out was looking at some birds flying overhead, smiling...

He moved closer and kissed her on the cheek, causing her to she smile and giggle...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Ayeka and Ryoko looked at each other, shook their head and sighed, after all, they, along with Tenchi, has promised to protect Mihoshi...

Or had that been protecting the Galaxy from Mihoshi?...

At any rate they all had their work cut out for them...

Tenchi reached up to his shoulder and scratched a sleeping Ryo-Ohki behind the ear...

It would take quite a while for her to recover enough to even transform...

Even so, the only fuel source in this system was the sun, for there weren't enough carrots in all the land to refuel her...

So it seem that they were stuck here for a while...

So, they had time to discover **WHY** it was that they were here and do some thing about it?...

Why did he have the feeling that he was being watched...

Turning his head, he looked up into the sky, in the same basic direction Mihoshi had been looking earlier...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Elsewhere in the Universe... )**

Three sets of eyes watched a very large screen...

Two pairs smiled as Tenchi seem to look up, as if looking at a camera, just as Mihoshi seem to do just before...

It was the pair with red hair that spoke...

" **Was it really necessary to do it this way?...** "

The pair with bluish hair replied...

" **It was... I need some thing done, before... **"

Washu turned to Tsusnami, an eyebrow raised...

" **Before?... Before what?...** "

Washu knew her younger sister could see the future and that there was a certain **FUTURE** she was working towards...

However, although Tsunami wasn't suppose to do any thing to effect that out come, she wasn't above a little push or pull every now and then, if it helped...

She just smiled...

Washu just sighed and continued to watch, startled as the usually quiet Tokimi spoke up...

" **You know... Ryoko was right!... Tenchi is beginning to sound just like you...** "

Washu didn't say a thing, the tear in the corner of her eye said it all...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	20. Chapter 20

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 20... A knight's tale - part.02...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Town square... ) **

An old man, wearing the robes of a monk, sat on a small stone next to the much larger one...

A small group of people surrounded him, most sitting on the ground, others standing nearby...

Most of the one sitting close were young children, who had come to the square to see the old man..

It had been a while since the well known Bard had been to this town and it would be a while before he returned, when he left...

Even the closest towns and villages were several days apart and so news ( spread by word of mouth ) tended to travel slowly, especially since it moved on foot...

Like the few others who traveled around, reciting their tale of events long past, as well as the few new ones, history and news was passed about the country side...

The sad word of an old Lord's death or the joyous news that a new Lord, or Lady, had been born...

This town was prospering, while this one had fallen on hard times...

It was, for the most part, the only entertainment around...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

From the shade of a nearby building, a young boy, with a small creature on his shoulder, was watching...

However, unlike the others, he wasn't a local, he was from a town some distance away...

He'd heard of the old man and had come here especially to learn...

But, unlike the other present, he hadn't walked to the square...

He had a faster mode of transportation...

Scratching the creature behind the ear, he observed his surroundings...

Seeing that ALL eyes were on the old man, he made a decision and spoke mentally...

_**NOW!**_

And almost instantly a pair of females appeared in the shadows of building, next to him...

Ryoko and Ayeka, both alert to any dangers...

Tenchi was happy to see them and Ryo-Ohki was happy too...

As they started to speak, he held a finger to his lips...

The old mam was beginning to speak...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **In a time, long ago, almost forgotten now, there was a Great King, who ruled these lands with a fair and just hand...**

**And the kingdom was great and it's people prospered...**

**But then one day a mighty demon, in human form, descended from the sky and lay waste to the countryside...**

**A demon who could throw balls of light from it's hands, which exploded and who swung a large flaming sword that could pass through armor and flesh as if it were water...**

**And so the Great King and his valiant warriors went forth to face the demon, who stood upon what is now holy ground...**

**And the battle was long and bloody and all fought bravely...**

**But in the end, when the smoke settled, the king and all his brave knights were dead, to the last man, for none were willing to surrender or retreat...**

**Then, standing upon the field, which was now covered with the bodies of the dead and dying, it called out...**

**IS THERE NONE LEFT TO FACE ME?...**

**And when only the sound of the wind returned, the demon smiled and laughed...**

**A laugh that sent a chill through those few who were left to watch...**

**REMEMBER THE NAME OF KAGATO AND TREMBLE IN FEAR!... **

**With that it rose into the sky and disappeared...**

**Leaving behind a land torn by war and strife ever since...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As the crowd clapped, Ayeka and Tenchi stood on ether side of a shaking Ryoko, holding her hands...

_**Let's go...**_

And the three of them disappeared into thin air...

They reappeared in their tavern room, in another town, some distance from that town's square...

They were welcomed by the gentle snoring of the golden haired female laying on the only bed in the room...

As Ryoko could only transport two at a time in a hurry, it was decided that only Ayeka and he would go...

Ryo-Ohki was along as back-up...

As Tenchi started to wake Mihoshi and let her know they were back, a smiling Ryoko was faster...

She moved to the side of the bed and leaned down, whispering softly into Mihoshi's ear...

"** Food... **"

The sleeping female was sitting up right in an instant, looking around, wide awake...

Ayeka and Ryoko managed not to laugh, Tenchi smiled and sighed, that was their Mihoshi...

**. . . . . . . . .**

Looking around, the sleepy Mihoshi saw Tenchi through half open eyes and was in his arms in an instant...

She moved so fast, that Ryoko thought for an moment that she had teleported herself...

Her arms around Tenchi, Mihoshi began to moan and sigh in Tenchi's ear...

" **Oh, Tenchi... I was just dreaming about you!...** "

By the way she was rubbing against him, the gleam in her eyes and from past experiences, he was pretty sure he didn't want to know what she'd been dreaming about...

It was Ayeka, her eyes slightly glowing, who came to his rescue...

" **Mihoshi... It's time to go down stairs and eat...** "

Tenchi could breath again as Mihoshi released him and headed towards the door...

In the week since they had found themselves stranded on this world, they had put their skills to use...

Between Mihoshi and Ryoko, the small source of used metal had not only seen an increase in metal items appearing in various market places, but funds for Tenchi and his wives...

They had even managed to acquire lodging at a small tavern on the edge of town, where they passed as a family from a distant land...

Three step-sisters and their step- brother, ( with his pet ), just passing through, headed to a distant town and relatives...

Making it to the door first, Tenchi smiled as he opened it for his ladies...

**. . . . . . . . .**

**( Later... )**

It hadn't been hard to get a table in the corner, as the room was rather quiet at the moment, due to a couple of local thugs and bullies who every in the room seemed afraid of...

On this world, each person was responsibility for their own safety and enforced it with the weapons they carried...

The bad side of having funds and not being locals, was that it attracted unwanted attention...

And as Ayeka was the one handled the funds, they decided she was easy picking, and confronted her as she crossed the room to get order their meals...

As they demanded her purse, it was very clear that there was no one in the room who wanted to or was willing to get involved...

_**Need help, dear?...**_

Ayeka didn't even look in Tenchi's direction, but could see Ryoko stop Mihoshi as she started to get up...

_**No, Dear... I've got this...**_

She hid a smile, as she hadn't had a good fight with Ryoko in some time and she saw Ryoko smile...

_**Go for it princess...**_

Tenchi smiled as he continued to feed a still cheerful Ryo-Ohki this world's equivalent of a carrot, that he'd acquired earlier at the local food market...

Ayeka held up a small leather purse before her, which held their acquired funds...

" **Are you talking about this?... **"

Smiling, the thug reached for the purse, but his smile quickly disappeared, as his hand stopped inches from the purse...

Ayeka had reached up with her other hand and grabbed his wrist, freezing it in mid-air...

**. . . . . . . . .**

With the strength she'd inherited from her mother, she had to be careful not to break his wrist...

The thug couldn't advance his hand to the purse and no matter what he did, he couldn't pull it back...

As he reached up with his other hand, Ayeka gave the purse a sudden jerk towards the thug's head and it made contact with his forehead...

As it was half full of small metal coins, it was heavy...

The results were almost instant, his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell like a rock, as Ayeka released his wrist...

The reaction in the room was complete silence as every one stared at the thug laying on the floor...

They didn't see Ryoko appear behind the other thug and take his knife from him...

With a very casual toss, it became embedded in the section of wall that was used by other knife throwers, to it's hilt...

Staring at his knife, the thug heard a soft voice in his ear...

" **Take your friend and don't come back...** "

Quickly grabbing his unconscious co-hart, the thug exited with all do haste...

It took time for the room to return to normal...

**. . . . . . . . .**

**( Later... )**

When things got back to normal, Tenchi and the girls found that there was now space between them and the others in the room...

A young serving girl brought them each a large wooden bowls of hot stew, with wooden spoons...

They ate quietly watching their surrounding as they ate...

It was Tenchi who noticed the quiet male, who was sitting alone in the far corner...

It was the way that he was watched them, all the time keeping his hand appearing to be in his pocket...

The only problem was that the local garb didn't have 'pockets', that was what purses attached to belts were for...

Seeing that Tenchi was looking his way the male quickly got up and left the tavern...

_**I've got it...**_

Finishing her bowl, Ryoko moved back, into the shadows and when she was sure no one was watching, disappeared...

With that, the rest of them took their time finishing their meal, allowing Mihoshi time for a second bowl, before getting up to leave...

Tenchi took note of the fact that as they crossed the room, the crowd parted for Ayeka...

**. . . . . . . . .**

**( Later, upstairs... )**

As Tenchi and the others entered their room, they weren't surprised to find Ryoko there, with a guest...

The quiet male, tied up and blindfolded in the only chair...

She had informed them, as they finished eating, that she would meet them back in the room and she would have a guest...

What caught Tenchi's eye was the assortment of items that had been arranged on the bed...

Items, like these were not from this world...

Most of the items could be obtained on just about any large world within the civilized galaxy...

However two items were only available in one place, the Galaxy Police Headquarters, a GP control crystal and a GP blaster...

When he brought Mihoshi's attention to them, her eyes widened...

_**Can you handle this?...**_

Mihoshi smiled and nodded her head...

**. . . . . . . . .**

**( Across the room... )**

When Detective Tang's blindfold was removed, he was shocked to see the suspicious strangers he'd been observing standing before him, eying him strangely...

He had been assigned here to watch over this world and report if the world was attacked again...

He was the third officer to be assigned here since Kagato's attack many decades ago...

He had arrived well after a truce had gone into effect, thus, unlike the officers before him, he hadn't had to avoid the battles and fighting that were happening every where, since the Great King's death...

The fighting had ended with 'the pledge of the stone' some years before, when a large rock had fallen for the sky and struck the ground near where two of the High Lords and their allies were fighting...

Wind and dirt stopped the fighting and during the pause, a priestess of the Goddess Tsunami had confronted the two Lords and declared it was a warning from the Goddess that the fighting must end...

The two High Lords, as well as others, had accepted her word and a truce was agreed upon...

Secretly all the Lords were tired of the fighting, their men, those who could fight, as well as their resources had been stretched to the limit and beyond...

The common people, the peasants, from whom those resources had come, were starving and dying and then there would be nothing left to fight with, much less to fight for...

But even so, to show any sign of weakness could encourage a neighboring Lord to attack you, taking what little you had...

**. . . . . . . . .**

In the years since the truce, a tense uneasy peace had fallen upon the land...

ALL the High Lords had agreed on one thing, that '** IF YOU DON'T BOTHER ME, I WON'T BOTHER YOU!... **'

And slowly the land and it's people had recovered...

Towns and villages were rebuilt, crops planted and harvested ( under the watchful eye of the local High Lord, who taxed a portion to feed the warriors doing the protecting and such... )

Able bodied peasants would also have to service that Lord as a part of a yearly tax for living on that Lord's 'LANDS'...

Thus the Lords had a source of labor upon which to call for projects they needed done, like strengthening the defenses of the fortified structures they and their families lived in...

The peasants were also required to take up arms, to defend their Lord if need be...

Thus a part of the labor time was devoted to learning how to use weapons and how to fight as a group...

This not only provided a source of fighters in an emergency, but some would go on to enter the Lord's service and leave the life of a commoner behind...

**. . . . . . . . .**

What few horses had survived the wars belonged to the Lords for their warriors...

Even the few mules and ox now belonged to the local lords, who would ALLOW their usage by the local peasants, during planting time, as it greatly accelerated the planting and allowed for larger acreage...

All in exchange for a percentage of the harvest...

And so the towns and villages had grown, the townsfolk and villagers were prospered and the High Lords had managed to rebuild their forces...

It had been a fairly quiet assignment, that is until recently...

The Detective had noted that with the High Lords restoring their military forces, there was an excellent chance of a new conflict erupting in the near future, all it would need would be a match...

And then these strangers had appeared about a week before...

It hadn't taken long to become convinced that they were from off-world...

But had they come here on their own or had they crashed, like others had in the past?...

**. . . . . . . . .**

Their actions seem to indicate that they had not come here on purpose and he had considered making contact, but some thing was wrong...

HOW had they even gotten here?

His cloaked cruiser, in orbit, had detected nothing approach the planet...

It was as if they had just appeared out of thin air...

And there was some thing about those three females that troubled him...

There was the way the dark haired female had handled that local bully and thug, as if he were nothing more than a spoiled child...

And the way the light haired female had thrown that knife with such ease and force...

But it was the yellow haired female's smile that had sent chills down his spine...

Some thing in the back of his mind told him that he had seen all their faces before...

Had it been on wanted posters?...

And now he was completely helpless, at their mercy, could things get any worse for him?...

His eyes widened as the yellow-haired female smiled and approached him, a knife in her hand...

His eyes rolled back and he heard a female voice...

" **Gee... I think he fell asleep?...** "

Every thing went black to the sound of laughter...

**. . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	21. Chapter 21

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 21... A knight's tale - part.03...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( A tavern room... ) **

The contact of cold water to the skin was a universal method of awaking some one and it worked this time too...

Galaxy Police Detective Tang raised his hand to his face to remove the water remaining there...

As he shook his head, he realized he was no longer tied up, there seem to be no restraints at all...

Which confused him...

The last thing he recalled, was being securely restrained in the chair...

As he became more awake, he noted that he was still in a chair and as his vision cleared, he found he was still in the room he had been in earlier...

The first figure to come into focus, was the light haired female standing in front of him, holding a wooden mug, water dripping from it...

Looking up, his eyes met hers and she smiled, showing off a pair of K9 teeth, almost fang like...

He was unaware that she had taken the mug, with water in it, high above the town in the night sky, where the air was thin and the temperature was low enough to chill the water quickly, so they could wake him up...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The yellow haired female was looking at some thing in her hand as she spoke...

" **You are officer Tang and this is your first assignment since graduating from the Academy?...** "

He could only stare at her, but some thing in her voice caused him to nod his head...

" **It seems they issued you a Mark VIII-B37 control crystal, which means that you were, in all likely hood, assigned an old Mark VIII class patrol cruiser...** "

She turned to the others in the room before continuing...

" **The Mark VIII is the oldest patrol cruiser in active service, even though it is several centuries out of date... They were able to upgrade it just enough to handle the very lowest grade duties, such as patrol of very low grade, backwater planets of little interest to any one... This allowed Mark IXs and above to be used for more important duties...** "

Tang's mouth dropped open...

_**How did she know that?...**_

" **Starting with the Mark IXs, more advanced AI (Artificial Intelligence) computers were installed on each cruiser which were programed to learn as they went along... Quite a few of these evolved into self-aware AIs and their 'clones' are used in many of our patrol cruisers today... Major capital ships still use less independent AIs as a matter of policy... Especially after Kagato used a virus on a GP Task Force sent to confront him and had the AIs kill all the crews... Had there not been a self-destruct safety code, Kagato would have had his own task force to play with...** "

Tang had heard about the heroic battle of Task Force 316 and it's destruction battling Kagato, but like every one else had assumed it had been due to his massive battleship, the _**Soja**_...

He heard a sarcastic voice...

" **She's been spending far too much time with mom!... **"

The yellow haired female smiled and giggled...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

After a short pause, she continued...

" **At present, only Mark XII and above are officially listed as Patrol Cruisers, all earlier models are listed as auxiliary cruisers and are being upgraded as soon as time and funds allow... Eventually all cruisers before the Mark XII will be upgraded to newer Mark models or scrapped...** "

A female voice spoke up...

" **But isn't **_**Yukinojo**_** a Mark X?... **"

He saw the yellow haired female smile...

" **Yes... But he was used in the early test upgrades for AIs and was one of the very first of the new AI to become self-aware... It's AI was later 'cloned' to be installed as a basic AI in later cruisers... By the time we met he was officially listed as a Mark XV... Since then, with all the rebuilding and up-grading your mother has done to it, it was re-classed as a Mark XXV... And, unless your mother changes her mind, it is quite likely to be the only one of it's class...** "

Tang's eye's widened, the latest class of patrol cruisers was the Mark XX and that had come out just before his graduation...

But there had been rumors of an experimental class of cruiser that just **MIGHT **be on par with the **GP**'s heaviest cruisers and even some rumors that said it might even be better...

Not only that, but a few even spoke of it being run by it's on-board AI...

But that was just rumor - wasn't it?...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As he tried to come to grips with what he was hearing, his control bracelet contacted him, via the tiny unit implanted beneath his ear...

This allowed him to keep in contact with his cruiser in orbit, with out drawing attention to himself...

However, due to the radiation caused by Kagato's attack, the radiation belt around this planet prevented any form of communications between the surface and off world, even if just to an orbiting craft...

So it had to drop into the planet's atmosphere, every so often, to maintain contact with him...

Since his last contact, his on-board AI system had been searching through it's data base for any info on the four strangers he'd shown an interest in and it had results...

While going through the oldest section of the huge wants and wanted files, it came upon it's first possible match...

Then it was in the oldest section of the 'Missing Persons' files that another possible match came to light...

After processing all of it's files on** GP **cases, etc, it happen upon another possible match in the basic **GP** personal files, which were used to confirm the IDs of fellow officers in the field...

But, it had been in the galaxy news data, used to keep officers informed about current events, that the AI was able to connect the separate matches and identify the strangers...

Thus, it had entered the atmosphere before it's next planned drop, in order to contact the officer...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

_**Officer Tang?... **_

Tang sighed, wondering who his ship's AI thought was going to answer on this backwater world...

After all, he **WAS** the only one with advanced** GP **equipment on this world...

_**Yes, it's me!... **_

He could almost swear he heard a sigh of relief in his AI's reply...

_**That good, sir...**_

Tang subconscious counted to ten as he waited for the AI to continue...

One of the first things he'd learned when he took 'command' of the **Mark VIII**, don't argue with it, it was just a waste of time...

_**Sir, I've finished a search of all data on-board and I believe I have identified all four subjects you were interested in...**_

Tang looked at the four people in the room, who all seem to be looking right at him, smiling...

As 90% of data aboard the cruiser dealt with criminals and **GP** cases, sweat began to form on his brow...

The light haired female smiled at him and the yellow haired one giggled...

The dark haired female sighed and shook her head as the young boy sat on the bed, scratching his small pet behind the ear...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

_**Sir, I have identified the dark haired female as Ayeka Masaki Jurai, the daughter of the Juraian Emperor and First Princess of Jurai, who was listed as missing for a very long time, until recently... **_

As Tangs looked at the princess, she smiled and nodded her head slightly...

_**The yellow haired female is Detective first class Mihoshi Kuramitsu, the Grand Marshal's grand-daughter...**_

At that, Mihoshi giggled and smiled at him...

_**And the light haired female is Ryoko Hakubi, who until recently was one of the most wanted galactic criminal, next to Kagato, in the past several thousand years, not seen for several hundred year, until she reappeared recently and was later pardoned...**_

Tang's eyes widened at the mention of the infamous space pirate Ryoko, a name used by his mother to get him to behave, her winking at him didn't help...

_**As for the boy, he is a new member of the Juraian Royal family, who was unknown until recently and has since accepted the title of Crown Prince, his name is Tenchi Masaki...**_

Tang stared at Tenchi and was having difficulty breathing, the closest he'd ever been to a Juraian Lord, much less a High Lord, had been when one had inspected his graduation class...

_**To be in the presence of a member of the Royal family, much less two, was - was -...**_

" **Unbelievable?... **"

It was Mihoshi who had spoken out loud...

As he stared at her, she tapped her ear and smiled...

_**At this range not only can I over hear your comm link, but I can over ride it...**_

His jaw dropped as her eyes glowed and she smiled...

_**And it's actually four members of the Royal family...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As Tang stared at Mihoshi, his AI continued it's report...

_**She is quite correct sir, all three of these female were recently married to Prince Tenchi and as such, they are now - Princess Ayeka, Princess Mihoshi and Princess Ryoko...**_

As Tang began to faint, another wave of wet water hit his face...

Smiling, Ryoko waved a finger at him...

" **Didn't they teach you to pay attention when a superior officer was talking?...** "

All he could do was stare at her and nod his head...

The AI continued...

_**Sir... Should I notify HQ that there are members of the Juraian Royal family on this planet? **_

Mihoshi quickly responded when she saw Tenchi shake his head...

_**Command over-ride Alpha-Alpha-Alpha... Presence of the royals is to be mentioned in direct data downloads only, no mention is to be make in any way within transmitted reports, coded or otherwise... Acknowledge!... **_

The reply was instant...

_**Acknowledged!...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Although his eyes were on his superiority officer, Mihoshi, he watched the one who concerned him the most, Ryoko, out of the corner of his eye...

Like others children growing up in this vast universe, he'd been told that if he wasn't good, the Demon Space Pirate Ryoko would appear and drag him off to where all wicked people ended up...

While at the Academy, he'd not only learned that there **HAD BEEN** a Space Pirate by that name, but the rumors didn't even compare with the known recorded facts...

He'd felt some relief when he discovered that she had disappeared over 700 years ago, just after her very infamous attack of the home-world of the Juraian Empire...

To suddenly find that she was not only still alive, but that she'd returned and was only a few feet away had his mind spinning...

Then there was the whole 'Princess' thing...

Every one knew that the Juraians not only had long live, but they had long memories and weren't known for being a very forgiving people...

_**How?...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

A dark movement caught his attention and he suddenly discovered a smiling face with yellow hair looking at him from only a few inches away, causing him to jerk back his head...

Standing back up Mihoshi looked in Ryoko's direction, still smiling...

" **Ryoko... I think you have an admirer... He can't stop watching your every move...** "

Ryoko chuckled softly and shook her head, she had also noted the officer's attention, but believed it was due to other reasons...

" **I don't believe it had as much to do with admiration, as survival... It wasn't the 'Princess' he was watching as much as the 'Space Pirate'...** "

She smiled as the officer's eyebrow went up...

With a wicked smile in her face, she strolled over to Tenchi, who was sitting on the bed, with Ryo-Ohki next to him...

Then, batting her eyes at the officer, she sat in Tenchi's lap and put her arms around his neck, pressing her cheek to his...

Ayeka was watching, but she didn't react, openly...

_**You'd better not be taking this where I think you are!...**_

It wasn't as much a question as it was a statement...

_**Aaahh... Can't a girl have a little fun?...**_

Ayeka sighed as she saw Ryoko wink at her...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Detective Tang stared at the most infamous female Space Pirate of all times, as she cuddled up in the arms of a young boy who was suppose to be the Crown Prince of the mighty Juraian Empire...

On top of that, she was looking his way and giving him a sad, innocent face...

" **Sweetie... You'll protect me from the big, bad Galaxy Police Officer!... Won't you, Please!... Pretty, please?...** "

There were various mixed reactions around the room to this...

Detective Tang's jaw had dropped and his month was now wide open...

Ayeka had closed her eyes and started counting to ten, for the second or third time...

Mihoshi looked away and tried her best not to giggle and was not being too successful...

And Ryo-Ohki was laying on the bed, smiled up at her older sister and shaking her head...

Tenchi however had managed to take a deep breath and then softly sigh...

Since becoming a family, Tenchi and the others had discovered that doing the unexpected was far more effective at getting people's attention than resorting to force...

Force tended to be counter-productive...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Running his hand through her hair, he just sighed again...

_**Please don't lay it on TOO thick...**_

Which only caused Ryoko to giggle like a young school girl...

To which Detective Tang came to an obvious conclusion...

_**Ether these people are over the edge or I've been out here too long and have 'Field-fever'...**_

To this, he heard a voice in the back of his mind reply...

_**You're perfectly healthy and these people ARE over the edge...**_

Turning his head, he looked up into the most beautiful face that he had ever seen so close...

A smiling face, surrounded with light bluish hair...

A face that he'd seen his whole life, as he was growing up at his family's home...

The face of a Goddess - Tsunami!...

For the Detective, every thing became very calm and then slowly faded to black again...

The Goddess had an innocent smile as she looked up at the others in the room...

" **Could it have been some thing I said?... **"...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	22. Chapter 22

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 22... A knight's tale - part.04...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( A tavern room... )**

Mihoshi checked the male slumped in the chair for signs of life after he fainted...

She smiled as she looked at the others, including the Goddess Tsunami...

When Tsumami was around the members of the Masaki family she tended to forget that she was a Goddess, an all powerful being and she felt like just another member of the family...

She might have two "sisters" since the beginning of time, but until young Tenchi Masaki appeared, she'd never known what a 'family' really was...

A 'family' was people that weren't in awe of her, people who didn't want things from her, 'family' was people who accepted her for who and what she was and still cared about her as one of their own...

So she found it amusing when 'others' became involved and she was able to note their reactions, like the **GP** officer...

A little something she'd picked up from her joining with little Princess Sasami...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Tsunami smiled slightly as she took in her favorite family members...

Seeing Princess Ayeka looking her way, she turned to her first...

" **Ayeka, your sister sends her regards...** "

She then turned her attention to the others...

" **The whole family sends their love and hope to see you soon... **"

Ryoko sighed, Mihoshi giggled and Ayeka also sighed, turning to look at Tenchi...

Tenchi was smiling at the Goddess and bowed his head slightly, in a show of respect for her status...

A tear came to her eye as she saw this, he'd come so far...

As Ryoko looked at Tsunami, the goddess smiled and spoke softly...

" **Your mother sends her regards and hopes you're staying out of trouble... **"

Still sitting in Tenchi's lap, Ryoko started to reply, but was interrupter by Tenchi, who spoke first...

" **Please let Washu know that Ryoko has not only been good, but she has been of great help since we got here... **"

This got him a kiss on the cheek from a smiling Ryoko...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

After a moment of silence, he continued...

" **I assume you didn't come all this way just to exchange words of greetings...** "

Tsunami smiled, no wonder Washu was so proud of him...

Why all three of them were proud of him...

" **It has come to my attention that several local warlords have formed a pact to remove another warlord... On their own they only slightly out number the other warlord... However, together they have him outnumbered 4 to 1... **"

Tsunami said all this quite calmly...

" **Unlike the other warlords, this warlord has not been concentrating on just rebuilding his forces... He has been active in rebuilding the local community and helping to improve the lives of the lower classes as well... **"

Tenchi smiled before commenting...

" **It's like father says, the firmer the foundation. the stronger the structure you can build... **"

He found himself surrounded by smiling faces...

He looked as the smiling Tsunami...

" **I assume you would like us to make sure the foundation remains, firm?...** "

Tsunami didn't say a word, she just smiled as she faded out...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As they all looked at the spot where the Goddess had disappeared, they all heard a soft moaning and turned to find the young **GP** officer waking up...

As his eyes began to open, they widened suddenly and he began to look around...

" **WHERE IS SHE?... WHERE IS SHE?... WHERE IS SHE?...** "

It was Ayeka who managed to reply first...

" **Where is who?...** "

Tenchi memorized the innocent look on her face as she spoke...

The officer looked around, but only Tenchi and his three wives were in the room with him...

" **The Goddess... The Goddess Tsunami... Where is she?...** "

Tilting her head slightly, Ayeka's expression didn't change at all...

" **The Goddess Tsunami?...** "

The officer seem to be trying to search ever inch of the room with his eyes, but found nothing...

" **Yes... She... Here... Just now... I saw...** "

A finger touched his chin and lifted his face until he found himself looking into a pair of beautiful Blue eyes, surrounded by soft yellow hair...

He watched her enchanting lips move...

" **Like the Royal family, I suggest you not mention any other people you may believe you saw on this planet... No every one has a need-to-know... And those that do WILL be informed... Do you understand...** "

She smiled as he nodded his head...

One of the first things that a cadet learned at the Academy was that there were times when security demands might be such that an officer would have to trust the judgment of higher officers...

Mihoshi had just told him that knowledge of the Royals and the Goddess, could be dangerous, but that a report WOULD be made and knowing who her grandfather was, it was easy to guess who the need-to-know would be...

Besides, who was going to believe a Goddess would just appear before a new **GP** officer, just out of the Academy?...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Tenchi smiled at Mihoshi, for as usual when it came to her job, she could be very professional, when she needed to be...

He was proud of all three of them..

Mihoshi's showing every one that she wasn't an 'airhead', at least not ALL the time...

And then there was Ayeka's touch of humor that she'd picked up from Ryoko, though she wouldn't admit it...

Last, there was Ryoko who could change from being the feared Space pirate every one expected to a giggling school girl in the blink of an eye...

No wonder he'd had such a hard time choosing between them, each in her own way complimented the other two...

And he knew he needed each of them...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Brought back to the present, Tenchi noticed that Ayeka had caught the officer's attention...

" **Have you noted any signs of one or more of the Warlords preparing his men in such ways which might suggest they might be getting ready to commit some kind of an aggressive action against another of the Warlords?...** "

The officer stared at the princess, then turned to Ryoko...

" **What did she just ask?...** "

Ryoko started to say some thing, but a "**hum**" from Tenchi caused her to smile before she spoke...

"** She wanted to know if any Warlords were acting overly aggressive, war-like...** "

The officer glanced at Ayeka, who was staring at Ryoko and trying to hold her temper...

" **Then why didn't she say so...** "

Ayeka could see Ryoko smile and her eyes twinkle as she replied...

" **She spent too much time around politicians... Why use one word when you can use a dozen...** "

Tenchi could see the confusion on the officer's face, as he nodded his head any way...

He decided to take a different approach...

" **Do you recall any Warlords who have shown an interest in helping the common people as well as rebuild his own forces?...** "

The officer closed his eye and accessed the data bank on his com-unit, where he stored all his notes and observations, no matter how trivial...

It took a while to sift through the past several weeks of data for a couple of observations...

" **I did note that this village does seem to be prospering a bit better than others in the areas that I've traveling through of late... Also the surrounding farms appear to be in much better shape...** "

Tenchi and Ayeka's eyes met...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Ayeka made a slight motion of her head...

_**Well, it's some where to start!...**_

Tenchi smiled as he replied...

_**You're right, but we'll need to check it out, quietly...**_

He felt Ryoko move in his lap...

_**I guess that's where I come in to it!...**_

Tenchi turned and planted a kiss on her cheek, watching Ayek'a eyes narrow...

On impuse, he wanted to try something he'd been thinking about for a while...

When ever Ayeka or Ryoko got really mad, he seem to be able to feel their emotions, even when he was some distance away...

Closing his eyes, he concentrated really hard...

_**I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!...**_

As he did that he felt Ryoko freeze in his lap and he opened his eyes...

She was sitting in his lap, her eyes wide and her mouth open...

Ayeka was standing a short distance away, her eyes wide, a big smile on her face...

Mihoshi was staring at him, tears running down her cheeks, a dreamy look on her face...

From past experence only one thought ran through his mind...

_**Perhaps I should have waited for a better moment?...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( A short time later... )**

The young GP officer sat in the chair not knowing whatin the world to do...

He'd had his eyes closed for some time and was beginning to wish he wasn't there...

A while before, as if on some kind of cue, all three of the Juraian princesses had, as one, advanced on the young prince sitting on the bed and pinned him to the bed...

Since then they had been emitting all kinds of weird noises, giggling and such, as well as causing the bed to float in the air...

He'd heard all kinds of stories about the Juraian Royal family, but nothing like this...

And what was going to happen after all this was over?...

There were also rumors about what happen to those who happen to upset members of the Juraian Royal Family in some way...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It was then that he heard some one softly chuckle beside him...

He turned to find a young girl with red hair standing there, smiling, a tear running down her cheek...

_**How had she gotten in here?... **_

Rubbing the tears from her eyes, Washu turned to the young male and smiled...

" **Beautiful... Isn't it!...** "

All the male could do was nod his head, even though he wasn't even sure what she was talking about...

Looking at the figures on the bed Washu sighed before turning back to the young male...

" **Now, what are we going to do about you?...** "

Some thing about the way she said that caused him to raise a eyebrow...

Pulling some thing from her small pouch, Washu reached over and gently applied it to his forehead...

" **That should take care of the past half hour or so...** "

As every thing went black, all he could hear was a soft female chuckling...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	23. Chapter 23

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 23... A knight's tale - part.05...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Woods near by... )**

The local **GP** observation post was deep in the woods, in an old run-down cottage that had been abandoned years before...

Although the outside remained run-down, the insides had been redone with a force field protecting it from intruders and detection...

A class 3 I.A. unit operated the out post and could, if need be, handle the observation post alone...

Besides the shields and cloaking device, it kept a 24/7 watch on the surrounding woods, observing the movements of **ANY** living thing that came within a radius of 3 miles, which was a very thick portion of the woods...

Any **ONE** trying to approach would have been spotted well in advance and precautions made...

As for being able to beam into the post, the shields, not only prevented detection of the post, but any attempts at beaming too...

There was also the small matter of a thin radiation belt that encircled the world and prevented off-world contact with any thing less than a major power source ( not allowed by Galaxy Law... )...

Thus, a cloaked orbiting **GP** patrol craft was needed to drop below the belt to recieve reports and such, then return to orbit to relay them to headquarters...

And, of course, rules and regulations required at-least 1 **"LIVE"** officer be present...

For, although the A.I. system had tiny drones it could send out to make observations, they weren't self-aware and able to make quick decisions...

Besides, a live person could pass for a native better than a piece of machinery, which technically were forbidden on the planet's surface by galaxy law...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

And so, the A.I. was startled when a redheaded mature female figure suddenly appeared within the confines of the post...

The fact that some thing like this such happen caused the A.I. to pause to double and triple check it's readings...

After .0038 nano seconds, a long time for an A.I., it concluded that no matter how IMPOSSABLE it might be, there was an intruder in the out post...

As the security system was about to react, it noted that the present officer was with the unidentified female and hesitated for .0028 nano seconds,...

The female took that moment to create a keyboard with screen and quickly type in a series of codes...

This caused the A.I. to stand down and secure itself from emergency alert...

" **How may we be of service, Officer Hakubi?... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Washu had to smile, adding herself to the records of the Galaxy Police files had been an excellent decision as it allowed her access to the **GP** system without question or having to bother with channels, which could take forever...

As a member of the 'Top Secret' Special Branch of the **GP**, she could move freely about the **GP** with security clearance almost as high as the Grand Marshal himself...

And as the names of said agents were also 'Top-Top Secret', there was **VERY** little chance of any one noticing...

It had come in handy a couple of time in the past...

With a little shifting of files and some reprogramming of the system, the young officer would find himself back at the post, none the wiser as to how he got there...

The A.I. would know, of course, but would be under special orders not to discuss or mention it...

If he did access the records, he would be shown a recording of him entering taken a while back...

Most of his encounter with Tenchi and the others would be more like a dream...

As for Tenchi and them, there was a note on the table...

**TAKEN YOUR GUEST HOME, LOVE MOM...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Next Day... )**

Finding Washu's note, there had been some discussion as to if it was alright to head home, but as Ryo-Ohki was still unable to transform to her 'ship' mode, the answer was obviously, **NO**...

Ayeka and Ryoko discussed what to do next...

Ayeka was for doing some scouting around for more clues...

Ryoko, on the other hand, eyeing Tenchi, was in favor of going back to bed...

However, by that time everyone was ready for breakfast and a hungry Mihoshi led the way...

Sighing, Tenchi and the others followed her down stairs...

The last thing they needed was to let her out of their sight...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It hadn't been hard to find a table and order...

There weren't many there and those that were remembered Ayeka and Ryoko from before...

As they ate, there was some quiet discussion on their next move...

So it was finally decided that they should try the local market and stock up on carrots, much to Ryo-Ohko's delight...

There they could also check around for any possible clues as to what their next step should be...

But for now all they could do was wait - for Mihoshi to finish her seconds...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Later in the day, not far from town ... )**

On a local river's embankment, two figures sat under some shaded trees...

Both held long thin poles which had been made from nearby branches, earlier...

A cord was attached to their ends and ran down into the river, where they were slowly being pulled downstream by the river's slow current...

The smaller figure, a young boy, looked up at the taller figure, also a boy, who was leaning back against a tree, a hat made of straw pulled down over his face...

While the younger one had been concentrating on trying to catch some thing, the other had just been sitting there, relaxing, as if he hadn't a care in the world...

Even so, it was the older boy who had been catching all the fish...

As if on cue, the boy felt his pole twitch and he gave it a slight tug, to be rewarded by a continuing pulling on the line, he'd hooked his third fish...

The younger boy smiled, as he didn't really care who caught the most fish, for the first time in his life he felt good, a feeling that didn't come often in these hard times...

They had only met a short time before, but the younger boy liked his new friend, even if he was a bit strange, at times...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

( **Earlier in the day...** )

They had met in the village market place when he happen to notice the older boy, walking with a pair of young females, examining some of the locally grown food, especially some root like plants that were orange in color...

The boy seem to be letting the small animal on his shoulder taste the different plants, buying only those that the small creature seem to like...

Having paid for the plants, the three had turned to leave when he noticed something fall from the male's tunic...

None of them seem to notice as it fell to the ground and then rolled the short distance to his feet...

Curious, he bent down and picked up the strange object, what, at first, appeared to be a short stick...

As he held it closer, he noted that it was carved, made of some form of wood...

It seem as if it had been shaped as if to be held in the hand, like the grip of a sword, but there was no blade or even a hole where a blade would have been held...

And there were the rough cut gems, which seem to be held in place by nets made of tiny wines...

At one end was a large single stone that was as blue as the sky and at the other end were two smaller stones which were a dark reddish color...

There seem to be a spot for a third stone, but although the stone wasn't there, the tiny netting was...

As if the stone that had been there had just been dissolved some how...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

For some reason, he found that holding the carving was very calming and relaxing...

For a while it was is if the would around him had some how slowed to a craw, but that was impossible...

Blinking his eyes and shaking his head, he was startled to find that he was still standing where he'd picked up the carving...

Looking around he quickly noted the young male and his companions a short distance away, examining other plant roots...

Some thing deep within told him that this odd carving was very important to the young male and he should return it...

As he headed towards the young male, he didn't hear the soft giggling...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As he approached, it was the light-haired female who noticed him first and an eyebrow went up as she saw the object in his hand...

Not saying any thing, she looked at the male, who then turned to face him...

Seeing the object, one of his eyebrows went up, also...

But it was the dark haired female who spoke first, " **How?... **"

Before she could say any thing more, the male held up a hand and shook his head, again no words were spoken...

Taking it as a question, the young boy replied, "** I saw you drop this over there and thought you might want it back...** ", he held up the carving...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It was the young male who spoke, as he slowly reached out and accepted the carving from the young boy...

" **Thank you!... **"

Having returned the carving, the boy turned to leave, but the young male had a question...

" **What is your name?...** "

The boy turned back, few people ever paid him any mind, fewer still even cared who he was, to them he was just, " **Hey you!...** "...

" **My sister is the only living kin I have any more, our parents died when I was only a child... She says that I was named after that greatest of mythical warrior from our ancient legends - Yosho...** "...

Three sets of eyes narrowed...

Three sets of lips smiled...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	24. Chapter 24

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 24... Brewing storm...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The Castle... ) **

As the Lord of the castle entered his main hall, he discovered a number of unexpected guest there, a young boy and two females, one with dark hair, the other with yellow ...

The boy was examining a set of armour that was mounted on a dummy, so it could be cared for easier...

The Lord spoke...

" **Don't touch that!...** "...

A the dark haired boy turn to face him, the Lord noted that not only did he have his hands behind his back, but that he was smiling...

Tenchi had thought about touching a couple of spots on the armor to feel the texture...

However, in the museums in Tokyo his grandfather had taken him to, such things were '**Do Not Touch!**'...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

He spoke up...

" **I would take it that this would be the King's Armor!... **"...

It was a statement, not a question and the Lord nodded his head, a look of surprise on his face...

" **Yes!... That is the Great King's armor... But... How did you know?... **"...

For some reason Tench wanted to reply, " **Elementary, my dear Watson...** " instead...

" **This is externally well crafted armor, which is well cared for and mounted on this special frame.. Also, it has a place of honor up here, where it can be seen from just about any where in the hall and where it can, in turn, observe every thing that is going on in the hall... **"

The Lord said nothing and Tenchi continued...

He pointed to several spots on the armor...

" **I understand that most of the knights were cut down by a sword that cut through their armor as if it wasn't even there... This suit only had some minor damage... I believe the King was killed be a ball of bright light!... And there are spots that are distorted as if due to great heat...** "...

The Lord found himself looking at the spots that Tenchi was pointing to...

Again he nodded his head...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Then, as if suddenly remembering some thing, he stood up straight and spoke direct to Tenchi...

" **How did you get in here?... Did the guards let you in?...** "...

There was a touch of anger in his voice...

I was a smiling Ayeka who spoke up...

" **I regret that we let ourselves in...** "...

The Lord started to say some thing, but shook his head...

" **I see... You're not from around here!...** "...

Tenchi noted that the Lord was looking directly at him...

" **Yes... We're from a great distance away!...** "

Tenchi saw that one of the Lord's eyelids raised slightly before a small smile form on his lips...

" **I assume that if you've gone to all this trouble to get in here with out being seen, it must be some thing important?...** "...

Tenchi smiled, what they had heard about this Lord had been correct, there was a brain behind those dark eyes...

" **While passing by, a family member brought some disturbing information to our attention... **"

He noticed that both Ayeka and Mihoshi smiled as he said 'Family member'...

" **It seems that a number of other warlords have decided that by joining forces they can over power you and divide up the surrounding villages and farms that you have been improving... Spoils of conquest I believe it's called...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The Lord sighed...

" **I believe I know the Lords you are referring to... They've been treating me for some time, trying to get me to pay them not to attack... You have reason to believe they've decided not to wait any longer?...** "...

As it was, he was the only one surprised when a voice spoke up behind him...

" **More than just deciding... They have come up with a plan...** "...

A wide eyed Lord turned to find a smiling Ryoko standing a few feet behind him...

A smiling Tenchi broke the silence...

" **Am I to assume that you have some news for us?...** "...

As the smiling Ryoko passed the Lord, she winked at him...

Walking up to Tenchi she cuddled up to him, causing Ayeka to frown...

_**Down Princess... This is important... **_

Out loud she looked at the Lord and shook her head...

" **Do any of you people even know the meaning of the word, security?...** " ...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Stepping away from Tenchi, she sighed before she continued...

" **All a pretty maiden has to do is bat her eyes at the man-at-arms at the castle gate and he's willing to tell her where he hid his life savings...** "...

Tenchi knew there was more to it than that...

_**Ryoko!...**_

_**Yes, Dear!...**_

Ryoko smiled...

" **All three warlords are meeting at the nearest Lord's castle... Their Knights, Men-at-arms and Archers camped outside... From what I can gather, all but a couple of men-at arms and any squires they had were all they left behind to hold their undefended castles... While every able body warrior was gathered for the attack... I estimate that they easily out number you by about 4 to 1...** "...

Tenchi saw the Lord's eyes drop...

" **And it seems that they actually have a battle plan... Not just coming over and assaulting the castle...** "...

The Lord lifted his head, his eyes wide open as Ryoko continued...

" **It seems that some one had the idea of drawing off at-least some of your defenders... There by weakning you and increasing their odds... **"...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

After a short pause, she continued...

" **Some troops, using draft horses, under a knight, will cause trouble on the edge of your land, a good distance away... With luck this would draw out a small group of your men-at-arms, with a knight to deal with them... If that works, then another group would do the same thing on the other side of your lands, drawing off even more defenders... A scout nearby would be watching to see if it works so they could plan their next move... If it works, then the odds could increase to 6 or 8 to 1...** "...

The Lord looked surprised...

" **I've known these three for years and their usual form of attack is head-to-head... Any thing more complex and they end up tripping over their own feet...** "...

Tenchi saw Ryoko smile...

_**OK, what is it?... **_

She smiled at him...

_**I need to check out some things, but we might not be the only visitors to this world... **_

That caused Tenchi, Ayeka and Mihoshi to look at each other...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The Lord noticed this and spoke up...

" **Is some thing wrong?...** "...

Tenchi paused before speaking...

" **About how long ago did the three other warlords start acting odd?...** "...

The Lord thought about it for a while before replying...

" **Not more than a year ago... Before that the truce was holding... Every one going his own way... Live and let live... Why?..**. "...

Tenchi sighed...

" **Just a thought, but there may be some one behind the three lords... If so we need to know who they are...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The local Tavern... )**

Galaxy Police officer Tang was sitting at a table in a back corner, staring at his drink...

His first assignment out of the academy had been a quiet one, as was expected...

He had requested field work because he hated paper work...

His scores had been more than high enough to be considered...

Having come from a small world similar to this one, but advanced enough to have access to other worlds, he had been recruited into the Galaxy Police...

Now his background enabled him to blend into the local community and observe things...

Being a very low tech world, it was classified as a 'Protected' world, too young to have contact with people from other worlds...

Such contact could effect the development of the world's people...

The history of the Galaxy was full of examples of where such contact had caused changes, often NOT for the better...

Thus Galaxy Law was quite firm on the punishment for any unauthorized contact by people from other worlds...

**DEATH...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

So, officers, like officer Tang, were assigned to watch over and protect this world from that happening...

Usually his observation post would have been in orbit or on a nearby orbiting object...

However, some time back such an option had been rendered impossible...

The most wanted criminal in the galaxy, Kagato, had visited this world to test some new skills and have some fun...

He'd left behind devastation and chaos...

Besides killing the local ruler and many of his loyal followers, a side effect of his energy use had been the forming of a layer of radiation high above the planet that prevented communications passing through...

This made off-world observation impossible...

So an officer had to chosen who could blend in with the locals and not stand out...

And as it wasn't a very popular assignment, just one mistake could end one's career, officer Tang got the job...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

And right now he was beginning to have second thoughts...

Every thing had been going along nice and quietly, until recently...

He seem to recall noting some strangers a few days before, but since then he seem to have lost track of them...

In fact he had difficulty recalling any details from the past day or so...

Usually he wouldn't worry about it, but some thing told him it was important...

A shadow cast on the table broke his train of thought...

Looking up he discovered a figure in a cloak standing at the end of the table...

With all the light behind them he couldn't make out any features...

Why did a chill suddenly run up his spine?...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Galaxy Police Headquarters... )**

The comm unit on the Grand Marshal's desk began to buzz, indicating an incoming call...

Reaching over he hit the 'on' button and a screen appeared before him...

One of his sub-division station chiefs appeared, a human male with a good deal of while hair...

" **Sorry to bother you sir...** "

The Grand Marshal hid a smile, he'd been expecting this call...

" **Not at all... **"

The chief took a moment to calm himself and to form his report...

" **It's about colony world 2163 sir...** "

The Grand Marshal nodded his head, but said nothing...

" **It's one of the protected worlds on the edge of the Airaian Kingdom...** "

The Grand Marshal again nodded his head and again said nothing...

" **Working on a tip from a special agent, we intercepted a shipment of arms and mercenaries headed to that world...** "

The Grand Marshal nodded his head again, a number of things were beginning to make sence...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The chief continued...

" **As you know, we have difficulty contacting our local officer, due to the damage cause decades ago by Kagato... Do you think we should send a nearby officer to try to make contact and warn him?... **"

The Grand Marshal held up one of his hands and smiled, he could see the worry on the chief's face...

" **No need... A special team is already on site and will assist the local officer...** "

The chief's jaw dropped slightly, his eyes widened a bit, it seem that headquarters was on top of things...

In recent years he'd noted a great improvement in GP's ability to handle problems...

The GP's popularity had never been higher...

It was a good time to be a Galaxy Police officer...

" **Yes, sir... Thank you, sir...** "

He had a smile on his face as the screen closed and disappeared...

The Grand Marshal chuckled as he shook his head, he had an idea which 'special agent' had sent in the tip...

Officer Hakubi of Special Branch, better known as professor Washu Hakubi or as " **that mad scientist** "...

He knew about her little addition to the ranks from the beginning and had left it...

He also knew that she knew that he knew...

So far it had been quite helpful, like now...

He'd read her short note earlier, informing him of unauthorized 'visitors' to 2163, but no details...

The 'No contact' law applied to Royalty as well as others...

The fewer who knew, the fewer problems later...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The local Tavern... )**

As officer Tang watched the figure leaned down and spoke softly...

( **... **)

Tang was so nervous that he didn't hear what was said...

Leaning forward he spoke softly too...

" **What?...** "

He could have sworn he hear a sigh before the figure spoke again, slightly louder...

" **Get the cotton out of your ears... I said Channel ALPHA, ALPHA, ALPHA... Priority ALPHA-one-one-ALPHA... **"

Tang wasn't sure what cotton was, but he knew that **Channel ALPHA, ALPHA, ALPHA was a GP **major command channel, used only in extreme emergencies...

He didn't recognize the priority code, but it sounded like a high one...

" **I'm afraid I don't recognize that priority code!...** "

The figure chuckled which sent a chill down his spine again...

" **Of course not... If you did, I'd have to kill you...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Tang found himself retreating as far from the figure as he could get...

Ryoko shook her head, her mother was right, Earth humor was lost on the GP, as well as most off-worlders...

" **The Marshal's has got to teach you guys to relax and laugh... You're much too serious...** "

At the mention of 'the Marshal', Tang's brain came back online and he began to put things together, as he'd done at the academy...

The mention of the command channel and the Marshal indicated GP, but their use of 'you guys' indicated otherwise...

There was also some thing in their voice, some thing he couldn't quite recall...

" **Have we met before?..** "

There was that soft chuckle again...

" **Yes, but I'd be surprised if you remembered...** "

Washu had wiped his meeting with Tenchi and the others from his mind...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Even using the contact phrase that she had heard Mihoshi use some time ago, Ryoko was finding it hard to establish contact...

" **If you're busy, I can make contact some other day...** "

As she started to turn to leave, Tang moved closer...

" **Wait!...** "

Some thing told him that this was important...

As Ryoko turned back, Tang looked around and gestured to a seat on the other side of the table...

Smiling, she took the seat, the table between them...

_**Good boy...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

They sat there a while before Ryoko broke the silence, leaning close and whispering softly...

" **Contact your Outpost...** "

As Yang was about to object and ask what Outpost, Ryoko held up a hand...

" **We haven't got time to waste playing, who has what, etc... I need you to get your AI to go back through it's data for the past two years and see if there were any unusual report, sighting or unexplained electrical transmissions during that time period!...** "

Yang wasn't sure why, but it was as if the other person knew that his comm unit was on and he'd been in contact with the Outpost the whole time...

_**Already on it...**_

Yang couldn't see the other person's face, but he could have sworn they were smiling...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As it was, Ryoko was smiling and talking to some one else...

_**Ryoko, my cube indicates he is in contact with his AI and it has confirmed it is working on it, but it will take a while...**_

_**Thank you, Mihoshi...**_

_**Ryoko!...**_

_**Yes, Sweetie?...**_

_**This will take a while but we need the data as soon as possible...**_

_**So, I need to stay here?...**_

Another voice answered...

_**Yes, Ryoko and do try not to drink the poor young officer under the table, we shall have need of him later...**_

Ryoko smiled...

_**Gee, you really know how to spoil a girl's fun...**_

_**Now Girls...**_

Several voices answered as one...

_**Yes, Dear!**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	25. Chapter 25

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 25... A knight's tale - part.07...**

**( Castle Battlements... )**

The castle's lord stood on the battlement looking out upon the dimly lite field beyond the castle's moat and entrance draw bridge in the light of a full moon...

He recalled a similar night, many years before...

After the death of the Great King and almost every high born Lord in the kingdom, it had been just about every person for them selves...

You did what ever you had to to survive and there were many things that he'd done in those first few months...

In fact, this stone castle had been a local Royal castle, a small one, held by just a few armed men...

But the knight and those who followed him, men, women and children, needed some where they could rest, a place where they could be reasonable safe...

What he and his few surviving warriors did to take it was some thing that would haunt him to end of his days...

It was another day before the priestess would allow the others, women and children, into the castle...

In the following days, as they tried to heal, the darkness seem to cover the land beyond the walls and some even wondered if any of it made a difference...

Then, out of no where, a miracle accrued and changed every thing...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The past... )**

It had been a night with a full moon, the air cold and fresh...

After lowering the bridge and opening the gate, the night guard had taken his time stepping out onto the bridge to check the other side of the moat...

It was some thing he had been doing each morning since coming to the castle several weeks before...

There were a couple of 'guards' on the wall above him, covering him as best they could...

Actually just a couple of young boys in armour with bows...

They looked a lot more impressive in the dim light...

He smiled, they would do, he'd been even younger when he'd left home and began to learn to fight...

He was now one of the few surviving men-at-arms and at the moment, the only one able to get around, the wounds under his armor still healing...

The knight they all followed wasn't in much better condition, but if he could manage, then they could manage...

Within the walls there was a feeling of safety, but there was also a closed in feeling to some one use to being out side...

So far the night had been like every other night since they had come here...

He took a slow, deep breath of the cool night air and suddenly froze...

He'd heard some one cough and there shouldn't be any one else there...

Looking around, he discovered a small figure curled up against the castle wall, next to the gate and drawbridge, on a small ledge...

It took him a while to recover, there was no way she could have gotten on that ledge with the drawbridge up, it was impossible...

But there she was and as he looked closely, the bundle in her arms moved...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

A low voice from above asked if something was the matter, but he just waved it off, pointing into the night...

They were there to keep an eye out and watch his back while the bridge was down...

If some thing happen, the gate was to be barred and the drawbridge raised, quickly, no matter if he was inside or not...

Not only his safety, but that of ALL those in the castle, family members and others, were in their hands...

He looked into the shadows across the bridge and heard the sounds of small animals, insects making noise, a good sign...

Sort of like with his wife, as long as she was talking every thing was fine, it was when she stopped that things usually tended to happen...

Slowly and gently, he bent down and picked the female up, it surprised him as to how light she was...

Standing, he took a last look around and then carried her back inside the castle...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Just inside the gate he passed the old man who operated the bridge...

His eyes widened and he started to say some thing, but the man-at-arms shook his head...

Sighing, the old man nodded his head towards the gate and bridge...

He might be old, but he could close and bar the gate...

It also didn't take much strength to turn the crank that raised and lowered the draw bridge...

Getting a smile and a nod, he sighed again as he moved to closed the gate and raised the bridge...

He would find out what had happen later, it wasn't like he was going any where...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Carrying his bundle with great care, the man-at-arms crossed the small courtyard to the doors of the castle's keep...

The inner, multi story stone structure that the outer walls and moat protected, the heart of the castle...

Another young boy, not even in his teens, stood by the door, in armour too large for him and trying not to drop the long pike in his hand...

Seeing the man-at-arms return, he'd gotten up off the stone to the side of the door and return to his post...

A guard wasn't really needed, but it gave the boy experience at standing guard and getting use to armour...

He was trying to look like a guard when he saw that the man-at-arms was carrying some thing...

As he started to advance, he saw the man-at-arms shake his head and nod to the Keep's doors...

Dropping the pike, he quickly opened the door and stood to the side...

His eyes widened as he saw what was being carried, but said nothing...

As the man-at-arms made his way into the great hall, he could feel the boy staring at him...

Soon he heard the sound of the door closing, a loud sound that echoed in a quiet hall...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The 'Great Hall' looked any thing but great...

Here and there on the far walls were a few torches, lite to allow those within to see their way...

For as far as the eye could see, there were shapeless mounds scattered about on the floor, only a foot or so apart...

Each mound, one or more survivors, trying to make it through another chilly night...

Carefully, the man-at-arms made his way through the mounds of bodies...

Those wrapped in furs were females and young children, those in the thinner blankets, were males and the older children...

Even their 'lord' use a blanket and was even known to be one of the last to eat...

He'd been there when the elderly priestess of Tsunami had made their lord eat an extra meal, to keep up his strength...

Weak or dead, he would be of little or no help to them...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It took a while for him to make his way across the Great Hall to the far wall where there was a raised platform...

At one end was a tent-like structure that had been created as a place for the elderly priestess to stay...

At the other end, a set of old damaged armour that was mounted carefully on a wooden stand...

It was the Great King's armour, recovered from the battlefield where he had fallen...

The lord, with just a few men, had been protecting Tsunami's priestess and only got there long after it was all over...

He and a handful of serfs, both males and females, had spent several days, burying the dead, in large pits, usually close to where they died...

He had carefully removed the armour from his body, before they buried him with the others, Lords and warriors...

The Priestess had said it would give the survivors hope, as if he was still watching over them...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As there was a light within the tent, he assumed that the priestess was awake...

He smiled, she always seem to know when she would be needed...

The man-at-arms carefully climbed the stone stairs onto the platform, to made his way to the tent...

Even as he mounted the platform and approach a large table there, the priestess and their Lord exited the tent...

Setting his bundles carefully on the table, the priestess had smiled at him and quickly examined the girl and her bundle, a baby boy...

Sighing, she smiled, a tear in her eye and she spoke to the knight...

" **And now the future can begin...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The present... )**

Opening his eyes, the Lord found himself back in the present and he had to smile, the young girl had taken the old priestess place and her little brother was now one of his youngest squires...

The Lord had not entirely believed his young visitor from the day before, but some thing had told him that the young male knew more than he was saying...

The young male had just brought word that a number of the nearby lords were plotting against him, some thing not really surprising in these times...

For assaulting another lord's castle was not only extremely dangerous and wasteful, it was also very stupid...

Any one doing it would not only be throwing away some very valuable and hard to replace resources, but would be opening themselves up to be attacked also...

He had know these lords most of his life and he knew that it was their distrust of each other that had helped to prevent any major conflicts in the recent past...

But now something had changed and three of them had actually joined together to attack him and take his lands...

What had been the hardest to believe had been that they had a PLAN...

Men who couldn't agree on who sat where at a dinner table, had a PLAN...

THAT had been the part that he found the hardest to believe...

Then earlier this morning...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Earlier... )**

In the middle of a moon lite night, a serf from a nearby village, to the east, appeared at the main gate riding a mule...

As all large 4-legged animal were considered valuable, the mule was being used by that village's headman...

He brought word that a small band or group of thugs had appeared the day before, taken over control of their village and were running wild...

This was not the first time that roaming bands of thugs had done this, usually they worked off some steam and then moved on...

Only really stupid thugs harmed any one or caused too much damage, the last thing they wanted or needed was knights and people with weapons after them...

As the village was within the area the castle's Lord claimed and protected, the village headman ask that he send help...

So, the Lord arranged for a knight on horse, two men-at-arms on mules and a number of archers on foot to be sent as the his reply...

The village was within a couple hour's walk and the archers were all young healthy males, use to moving on foot...

With the serf along, the band left the castle on it's long march back...

And things began to settle back down...

**. . . . . . . . .**

**( Some time later... )**

How ever, it wasn't to be...

For a worker, from the rock Quarry to the west, appeared on foot, with word that outlaws were attacking the quarry and demanding every thing of value...

The workers and boss had made it to the small nearby stockade, where a man-at-arms and several archers were keeping the outlaws at bay, but they wasn't sure how long, as the outlaws had archers too...

The Lord knew his resources would be stretched, but another knight on horse, two more men-at-arms on mules and several more archers on foot were dispatched...

The Lord was beginning to realize that the young male could have been correct...

As it was, any more request for help would have to be on their own, as a good portion of his forces were already gone...

But no more request came...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The present... ) **

The Lord looked at the man-at-arms standing nearby and considered what that title really meant...

Before the Great King's death, along with most of the High Lords, titles had different meanings...

An Archer was an adult male who had spent years practicing with a bow, until he could hit the center of a target with his eyes closed...

A man-at-arms was a male who had devoted a good number of years to learning the use of weapons and wore armour as if it was a second skin...

And Knights were experienced men-at-arms who were experience horsemen, as well as a good deal of experience in battle...

experience about not only what to do, but how to lead others in battle...

Oh how that had changed in a single day...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

His 'knights' were, in fact, the few real men-at-arms that had been with him when all this had begun and his 'men-at-arms' were any young boys tall enough to wear armour and carry a weapon of some kind...

There had been very few real men-at-arms left, those that had been lucky enough not to be at the final battle...

And with the death of those they were serving, they were able to choose who they wanted to serve...

A number had even chosen to serve under him, showing up at the drawbridge, alone or with their families...

As it was, he had just about every young boy and old male strong enough to stand, wearing armour and doing some thing, many just walking the battlements...

His 'archers' were those who were too small to fit into armour or use weapons, but could shoot a bow, which just about any male could do as soon as he learn to walk...

There had been a couple of experienced 'Archers' with him and they were in charge of training the young ones how to work together and how to be 'archers'...

His only good thought was that ALL the other Lords had the same problems...

It had been one of the females with the young boy who had suggested he allow some of the young girls to help also...

A good number of them knew how to use a bow and there were even a number of female who could wear armour and not just young girls...

Many male serfs had been forced into the service of those who proclaimed themselves to be 'lords'...

Thus leaving large numbers of families were without male providers...

It hadn't been uncommon to see the fields tended by females, usually dressed like a male...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Some Lords, like himself, had actually been a warrior, a few other Knights and even some Men-at-arms...

Others had been well-to-do landowners or merchants who had taken the title so they could put together small forces to defend themselves and what they had...

Any one who happen to have some thing of value or the power to take what they wanted became Lords...

He'd even heard that one had even been an 'outlaw', before he'd started being called " **My Lord!... **"...

There were also the families of the lords who had died with the King, where some had suddenly found a young boy as the new Lord...

Although he knew of a couple of places where " **Her Ladyship... **" had managed to keep control, most families where only females were left, had been absorbed by other 'Lords'...

If they were lucky...

He had even taken in a number of them, usually with nothing but what they had on their backs...

The remains of noble families, forces to flee for their lives as NEW Lords came to claim what little they had left...

In fact, that was how he'd met his Lady, the sister of a fallen Lord, who'd been forced to flee with other females and children left in her care...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( the Past... )**

The new 'Lord' was out with a few others, scouting their new domain, learning about the surrounding and making contact with other survivors...

One of the party had been making marking on a large piece of dried skin to record what they had found, a very rough map...

Their indication that some thing was wrong was when an arrow nearly took his head off...

A very upset female, dresser in male clothes and pointing the next arrow straight at him, caught his attention...

It seem that the noise all their armour, weapons and such made, had scared off the only deer that the 'archer' had seen in days...

And it would have fed the small party she was with for several days...

The Lord apologized and had one of his men bring up the deer that they had killed earlier, secured to the back of a mule...

Only then did the female unstrung her arrow...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

She then led them back to the small encampment of women and children, guarded by an old man with a sword...

As soon as he saw their condition he sent one of his men back to the castle for a cart and mules...

He learned that they had been forced to flee her brother's small Keep when a large force of men had approached...

They'd watched from the nearby woods as the keep was sacked for every thing of value before being set ablaze...

They had been wandering for days and now weren't even sure where they were...

He suggested they return with them, to their 'camp' and they had accepted...

When the cart arrived, the young and weak were put in it and they slowly proceeded back to 'camp'...

It was only when they left the woods near the castle that they saw what their true destination was, a castle...

It was also then that the female discovered that she'd threatened it's 'Lord'...

No one spoke as they entered the castle, the first real safety they'd had in days...

The presence of a priestess of Tsunami went far in helping them settle in...

Several months later, the Lord took the female 'archer' as his Lady, with Tsunami's blessing...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The present... )**

He leaned over and got the man-at-arms' attention...

When they looked his way he nodded his head and tapped the back of his neck...

Reaching up with their free hand, the man-at-arms touched the back of their neck and froze...

There was a good deal of hair hanging from under their helmet...

The Lord smiled and reached over, pushing the hair back up under the helmet...

He held up a finger as the woman-at-arms started to say some thing, smiled and shook his head...

" **It's alright... Just check every once in a while... **"

Nodding her head, she resumed her 'guard' post...

However he couldn't help checking out the rest of her...

A low voice caused him to smile ever so slightly..

" **See any thing you like?... My Lord...** "

He knew better than to answer that one...

Even if his 'Lady' did look good in armour...

It was her very soft whisper that caused him to really smile...

" **Later!... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Before he could come up with a reply, one of his men-at-arms approached and whispered in his ear...

Sighing, he reached over and took his Lady's hand and squeezed it...

He then followed his man-at-arms over to a section of the battlement wall, away from the others...

He'd only said 2 words, but they meant a lot...

" **They're here... **"

In the shadows, the man-at-arms pointed into the darkness, to the field beyond the moat...

As his eyes adjusted, he could begin to see what the man-at-arms had seen...

Movement at the far side of the field and the edge of the woods on ether side, trying to stay in the shadows...

It seem that unwanted company had shown up on their doorstep...

He continued to watch as his man went off to alert the others...

A figure stepped out of the shadows nearby and joined him, looking out at the darkened field...

His unusual young male guest...

Some how he wasn't surprised...

" **They say, that waiting's the hardest part...** "

The Lord raised an eyebrow at the strange remark...

" **Personally, I've always wondered who 'They' were?...** "

The Lord couldn't help it, he smiled and then began to chuckle...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	26. Chapter 26

**Yosho's Tales...**

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Yosho's Tales... **

**Chapter 26... A knight's tale - part.08...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Castle Battlements... ) **

His Lordship's man-at-arms returned to his Lord and quietly reported that all the other guards and such had been informed of their 'guests'...

He'd heard the strange light haired female make a comment about making sure every thing was ready when their 'guests' arrived...

The enemy had planned to sneak up and surprise them, causing panic and confusion, perhaps even scaring them into surrendering without a fight...

And if the defenders still managed to put up a fight, they would be out numbered as much as 5 to 1, especially with 2 of the knights, a number of men-at-arms and quite a few Archers were gone...

At least that was how the three Lords had planned it...

He had awaken every one who had been able to put on armor and carry a weapon...

As soon as they got some armor and a weapon, they were to quietly making their way up to the battlements...

Once there, they would sit with their backs against the wall and wait, only the few on guard would continue to be seen, as if nothing was wrong...

Some of the small children, who couldn't be seen from the outside would bring up wooden bowls and spoons, as well as small buckets of cooked food...

They would also carry up skins of water, so those waiting would have a hot meal and drink...

When the time came the defenders would be fed, fresh and ready to go...

The man-at-arms smiled, if their luck held, it was now looking as ifgoing to be the attackers that got the surprise...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Several of the older males were getting ready too...

It took some mixing and matching with the armor to get most of them looking like warriors...

They, as well as some of the older females ( also in armor ) would be on the other sections of wall, watching for any one trying to sneak in those ways...

This would allow every real, able-bodied person to man the front battlement and the more the better...

If they could present a much larger number of defenders than the attackers were expecting, they just might have second thoughts...

If not the Lords themselves, then perhaps their men, who'd been told it was going to be very easy pickings...

For 'loyalty' tended to take second place to 'survival' these days...

Since 'the end of days', just trying to stay alive was hard enough on a day-to-day basis...

Getting into fights tended to lessen your chances of making to the next day...

Especially with the little 'surprise' that had some how found it's way into the castle the other night...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Earlier... )**

While inspecting the castle grounds for any last minute problems, his Lordship had come upon an old, large tent set up against the back wall, in a little used area of the castle...

It had been what he discovered when he entered the tent that had startled him...

The first thing he saw as he entered had been the young girl with light spiky hair holding a wooden plank over her head...

The plank was about a foot square and about 9 feet long...

A knight in full armour would weigh less...

His mouth must have fallen open, for he next felt a finger slip under his jaw and lift it, closing his mouth...

Turning, he discovered the dark haired female shaking her head and trying to hide a smile...

" **You've spoiled our surprise!... **"

He turned back around, but the female and plank were gone and the young boy was standing there...

As his eyes searched around, the boy smiled and spoke up...

" **Ryoko had some thing to take care of... I hope she didn't startle you... **"

The Lord looked down as he tried to think of a way to ask some thing...

The boy chuckled...

" **You may have noticed that she's stronger than she looks... She gets that from her mother's side of the family... **"

The Lord didn't see Ayeka smile on hearing the chuckling that both her and Tenchi heard...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Looking back up, he saw the golden haired female, dressed in male clothing approach with a small pot on her head?...

Seeing the Lord, she smiled and waved at him as she whispered something to the boy...

She giggled and sighed as he quickly kissed her on the cheek...

He then turned back to the Lord...

" **It seems you are just in time... It seems our little surprise is finished...** "

He turned and pulled back a portion of the tent behind him, exposing another area...

As the boy lead the Lord into the next area, the Lord took it to be a wood working area of some sort, with all the bits and pieces of wood laying around...

The golden haired female was standing next to a device that the Lord hadn't payed much attention to in some time, not needing it...

It was a very long, thick pole, held off the ground, by two tall post on ether side at about where a mounted knight's helmet would be...

The post were mounted and supported on a frame which now had wheels...

Making it easier to move around, than just dragging it...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

A rope was usually attached to one end and a basket to the other...

By pulling down on the rope the other end would go up and any thing in the basket could be delivered to any high point, like the battlements...

Besides lifting heavy stones to repair the walls and slates for the roof, it helped deliver other things needed up there, but difficult to get up the stairs...

His man-at-arms had last used it to move bundles of arrows and other weapons up on the battlement, to various areas where they would be close at hand when the time came...

With it, he had used the young children to move the bundles and other heavy items instead of adults, who were needed else where...

There were also wooden barrels up there, holding extra swords, axes, even a few old ball and chain weapons, just about ever weapon in the castle...

Not only were they there incase they were heeded, he knew they helped those who were scared, which wasn't just those new to all this...

Those who'd been through this before knew what to expect and like himself, were scared...

But it was up to them to put aside their fears and encourage the others...

It was the only way they were going to get through this...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

He noticed that the lifter looked different some how...

The end with the basket was shorter and a smaller, wooden box had been attached at the end...

Stones in the box caused the other end to stick almost straight up in the air...

Looking at the other end, he could see what looked like a small net?, besides the usual long rope...

A soft chuckling caused him to turn, finding the young boy standing there...

" **I know it looks a bit strange, but it should do what we need it to do...** "

The boy smiled at the Lord's confused look...

" **It still lifts things, but now it throws them too... **"

The boy chuckled as the Lords mouth opened, but nothing came out...

" **You use it as you did before, just in a different way... You pull down on one end and the other, with the box, is lifted into the air... The box now acts as a counterweight and pulls on the other end... When you release your end, it is lifted quickly upward, carrying any objects in the small net with it... When the box reaches the bottom, it slows down... However, the object in the net is released to continue in the direction it was pointed...** "

He paused...

" **Or at-least that's what we hope...** "

The Lord looked at the boy, then the device and back at the boy...

" **In other words... It should work like me picking up a stone and tossing it, only a much larger stone and much further?... **"

Tenchi smiled as he heard Washu's comment...

_**Brains as well as brawns...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The present... )**

The Lord had to smile when he saw the look on the faces of his knights and men-at-arms as the 'Trebuchet', as the young boy called it, was moved into the main court yard behind the front wall...

It had been done quietly and then other loose timbers and pieces of wood quickly put around it, as if it were to be a large fire of some sort...

The boy had said it was to hide it from eyes who might find it of interest...

Most who saw it, accepted the fire answer...

But he noticed a few raised eyebrows among the older folks...

As for objects for it to throw, old jars, with the oil used for lighting lamps, had been set aside...

The jar's mouths had been sealed closed using some of the wax candles from the temple...

He had seen a lamp dropped once and it's contents catch fire, it had caused quite a mess...

He smiled at the thought of what those at the other end would think...

Hopefully that fighting today was a bad idea...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Another section of the battlement... )**

It was the tiniest of sounds which caused her ladyship to turn around suddenly, not easy in all this armour...

She was surprised to find the dark haired female standing there...

What surprised her more, was that the female had stopped her heavy pike's swing with her bare hand and with very little effort...

Looking at the pike and then her ladyship, the female smiled...

" **I didn't mean to startle you...** "

Calming down, her ladyship raised the heavy pike and set it against the inner wall...

" **It's dangerous, wandering around at night... **"

She didn't see the smile form on the other female's lips...

Wearing the normal garb of the locals, her ability to hear and see in the dark was much better than those wearing armour...

The helmet protected the head, but not only cut down on the field of view, but the ability to hear clearly...

She smiled as a voice in her ear suggest a reply...

" **As I recall, it's just as dangerous to wander around in the daylight!...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Her ladyship recalled how close she'd come to putting an arrow into a a wandering knight a number of years before in broad daylight...

The knight who had become her lordship...

As she looked at the other shadow in the darkness, there was something she was curious about...

" **Just HOW is the young boy related to you?...** "

The other female smiled as a voice told her to go ahead and tell her, who would she tell who would believe it?...

" **He is our beloved lord!...** "

Her ladyship was confused...

" **You are his servants?... **"

Ayeka told Washu to stop laughing, as she leaned closed and whispered...

" **Of course not... He's our beloved husband!...** "

Turning, she disappeared into the darkness, a slight chuckling floating behind her...

Her ladyship just stood there, her mouth open...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( In the main hall... )**

His lordship was standing before the king's armour...

If only he'd been there that day...

He touched the burned spot...

So he was startled when a voice spoke up...

" **For want of a nail, a shoe was lost... For want of a shoe, a horse was lost... For want of a horse, a rider was lost... For want of a rider, a weapon was lost... For want of a weapon, a battle was lost... For want of a battle, a kingdom was lost...** "

The two were looking into each other's eyes...

The young boy smiled as he continued...

" **A nail, a nail, my kingdom for a nail...** "

His lordship just stared at him...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **One more nail... One more rider,,, One more weapon... The battle was lost the instant the king confronted Kagato... The kingdom was lost with the king's death, with all his men... **"

His lordship managed to find his voice...

" **How would you know?... You couldn't have been old enough to walk when it happen!...** "

That was when the golden haired female appeared...

" **Because my beloved was the one who took him down...** "

Wrapping her arms around him she began to hug him and nibble on his ear as he started to turn blue...

At which time the light haired female appeared and began to pry the other female off the boy...

" **Mihoshi... loosen up... He's turning blue again...** "

Seeing the his lordship, she smiled...

" **Sorry... She gets this way sometimes... You'll have to excuse her...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It was then that she saw his hand had gone to his sword and she smiled...

" **If you can't wait til tomorrow for a fight, I can offer you one now...** "

Her eyes narrowed as she formed a light sword on her hand...

" **But I can't promise that you'll survive it... **"

His lordship was surprised as the young boy sighed as he reached over and touched her hand, causing her sword to go out...

Shaking his head, he smiled as the two female lowered their eyes, not able to look him in the eyes...

" **You two go to our room and wait there... I'll deal with you two when I get there...** "

Peeking up at him, they both smiled before Ryoko took Mihoshi's hand and they both disappeared...

Something told him that they had heard what **THEY** wanted to hear and there would be little or no sleep for him...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As he turned, he noted the other male still had his hand on his sword, his eyes still narrowed...

" **What are you?... A wizard or a demon?...** "

Tenchi smiled at him and scratched the back of his head and sighed...

" **Nether... Just a simple male with three very demanding wives...** "

Taking the tenchi-ken he tossed it to the startled lord, who caught it, causing Tenchi to smile...

He could hear Washu making some comments in his ear...

The lord examined the carved wooden object...

It was like the hand grip of a sword or knife, it even had gems, but with no blade...

He didn't notice Tenchi move over and stand beside him...

He was returned to reality when Tenchi reached over and touched his hand...

Tenchi smiled when a light blade appeared and remained on, even after he removed his hand...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The lord stared at the glowing blade...

" **Are you -...** "

Tenchi smiled and shook his head...

" **I may have turned it on, but you're the one's keeping it on...** "

A voice from the empty hall caught their attention...

" **Now this is indeed interesting!...** "

They turn to find the dark-haired female standing there...

Smiling, Tenchi stepped closed, again and touched the lord's arm, turning the blade off...

It was easy to recover it after that...

" **You're just in time, my dear... Mihoshi has -...** "

" **Been Mihoshi, as usual...** "

As she stepped next to him he leaned close and kissed her on the cheek...

She turned and looked at him...

" **That's not how your Frenchies do it?...** "

She hide a smile as he blushed and they both could hear Washu chuckling...

Seeing the lord staring at they, Tenchi managed to make a soft comment..

" **Don't ask... You really don't want to know...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It took a while, but Tenchi was able to calm down and then he spoke into the air...

" **Ryoko...** "

At which time, the light haired female reappeared, wearing very little...

" **Are you ready sweety?...** "

However seeing Ayeka's eyes narrow and the lord's eyes widen, a robe quickly appeared...

Sighing Tenchi quickly spoke...

" **You two go ahead.. I need to discuss a few things before dawn comes...** "

Batting her eyes, Ryoko reached over to touch Ayeka and they both disappeared, leaving behind a few last words...

" **Hurry up, sweety... **"

Turning, he found that the lord was sitting on a stool...

" **Sorry about that...** "

Taking a few deep breaths, his lordship was able to calm himself...

He noticed the lord looking at the tenchi-kin...

" **It's not magical, just a device like the trebuchet that is just not easy to explain... It does a number of things besides creating the blade... As protection, it can only be used by certain people... To prevent the wrong people using it... In this case, people related to me and my family...** "

The lord's eyes widened...

" **Yes, it detects that you are of the same bloodline as myself and Ayeka, the dark haired female... It also seems that you were related to the king... **"

Tenchi noted that this comment did not come as a surprise...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( A short time later... )**

"** I've known for some time, as few members of the royal line survived the attack... Even if I told every one, there is no way of proving it... My uncle's children survived, but they would not be accepted ether... Even as the priestess for the goddess Tsunami, it would not matter... Every one has lost hope... **"

Tenchi had been sitting on another stool, looking at the King's armour...

He noticed the bent sword hanging from the belt and an idea was slowly began to form, as did a smile...

" **Every one knows this is the Great King's armour!...** "

The lord looked at him, before nodding his head...

" **Would that happen to be his sword?...** "

Another nod and a very confused look...

Tenchi closed his eyes and concentrated hard, mentally visualizing his basic idea, something he'd never done before...

After a few quiet minutes, he asked a question, also in his head...

_**What do you think?...**_

Tenchi could hear Washu chuckling in the background...

_**I say that it's up to you, you're the one 'on site'...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Smiling, he turned back to the lord...

" **I've got an idea that could settle every thing and might just, maybe, return peace...** "

He looked at the armour and smiled...

" **But you're going to need to trust me... **"

He sighed softly as he continued...

"** And let me borrow some things... **"

His lordship didn't know why, but he didn't have any ideas of his own and he wasn't too happy about the coming dawn, he nodded his head...

Smiling, Tenchi took a deep breath and headed towards the stairs...

" **I'm afraid we'll need the priestess... Would you be so kind as to get her?...** "

At the foot of the stairs he paused and took a deep breath, smiling...

" **If you'll excuse me, I need to walk into the lion's den and wake some VERY grumpy females... **"

He started up the stairs...

" **SO!... If you see me running down the stairs, get the drawbridge lowered fast and I'll try to make to the enemy camp... That way any damage they might cause will help our side...** "

With that he continued up the stairs, humming Frédéric Chopin's Funeral March...

It didn't help, hearing Washu's hysterical laughing, in his ear...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


End file.
